A2 Music Revision Guide: Section A ListeningAugmented 6ths There are three types: German, French and Italian, sound like a dominant 7th chord They mostly resolve to the dominant or the tonic They contain an augmented 6th interval and a raised 4th e.g. in the key of C that would be Ab and F# In minor keys an accidental is needed to raise the fourth; in major both notes will need chromatic alteration An Italian Sixth Chord has an augmented sixth between the bass and root of the chord, with the fifth of the chord in-between the bass note and root.

A German Sixth is like the Italian sixth but with one extra note placed a perfect fifth above the bass note.

A French Sixth is like the Italian sixth but with one extra note placed a Augmented fourth above the bass note.

Italian and French chords will most often resolve to the dominant chord The German chords will most often resolve to the dominant or the tonic chord The Italian sounds like just the root, third and seventh of a dominant seventh chord, the German sounds exactly like a complete V7 chord, and the French sounds like a V7 chord with a flatted 5th. It is the low sixth scale degree which sounds like the root, even though this chord is not spelled and does not function as if this note were the root.

Metre Recognising time signatures such as 6/8, 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4.Harmony Augmented 6ths (see above) Diminished 7th chords Secondary 7th chords Dominant 7th in third inversion (V7d.