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21.3: Analyzing Augmented Sixth Chords

  • Page ID
    117508
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    Since our process for analyzing chords has been to stack them up in thirds to determine the root and quality, it is worth examing these four augmented sixth chords as stacks of thirds.

    aug-6-stacked-in-3rds.svg

    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Augmented Sixth Chords Stacked in Thirds

    Notice that all augmented sixth chords contain a ∘3 when stacked in 3rds. None of the chords we have studied so far contain diminished thirds.

    Principle 21.3.2. Augmented Sixth Chords.

    When you encounter a chord with a diminished third, it is an augmented sixth chord.

    Once you determine the chord you are analyzing has a ∘3, analyze the scale degrees to determine which type of augmented sixth chord it is.


    This page titled 21.3: Analyzing Augmented Sixth Chords is shared under a GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Robert Hutchinson via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.