Sixth Chord - Special Kinds of Sixth Chords

Special Kinds of Sixth Chords

The Neapolitan sixth is the first inversion of a major triad built on the flattened supertonic (second degree of the scale) - a Neapolitan sixth in C major, therefore, consists of the notes F, A♭ and D♭. Neapolitan sixth chord preceding authentic cadence (V-I)

There are a number of augmented sixth chords. Each of them has a major third and augmented sixth above the bass. When these are the only three notes present, the chord is an Italian sixth Italian sixth moving to V.; when an augmented fourth is added above the bass, the chord is a French sixth French sixth moving to V.; while adding a perfect fifth above the bass of an Italian sixth makes it a German sixth German sixth moving to V (the etymology of all these names is unclear). All usually have the flattened sub-mediant (sixth degree of the scale, A flat in C major, for example) as the bass note -in this case, they tend to resolve to the dominant.

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