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EP FROM HELL
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Augmented Sixth Chords, As Digested By A Jazz Musician. Tonal Harmony TutorialToday we’re going to talk about this chord:

Nowadays we see this chord as a subV/V, but in the Classical period this chord was treated using a very different perspective. Composers back then, saw this chord as an augmented sixth chord.

Watch the entire lesson here

Although these two points of view are very different, the reason for using this chord was the same back then as it is now: to tonicize the V chord — in what we call: a Half Cadence.

For those of you studying tonal harmony, I think this will clarify how, and why, this chord works, and how to solve those challenging tonal Harmony worksheets that your teacher always seems to be giving you.

For jazz musicians this is just a subV/V. When you play it on the piano, it’s clearly a dominant chord. And there’s three variations: the German augmented sixth (with all of the regular notes), the Italian augmented sixth (which has no 5th), and the crazy French augmented sixth version (with a b5).

Now, in the classical era, they didn’t see this chord as a dominant chord — made out of the 1 3 5 and b7. Here’s how this chord works for the classical mind…

This concept was developed from the perspective of being in a minor key. It works perfectly fine in a major key, but the augmented sixth chord was conceived from the perspective of being in minor.

So let’s say we’re in the key of C minor.

What’s the V of C? G! Now, what is the best trick to tonicize that G? Well, if we use the Ab (only a half step above G), and an F# (which is the leading tone to G), when we write it down, we have an augmented sixth, which resolves to that G in octaves by contrary motion.

Remember this: the augmented six chord always resolves to the V of the key in octaves (or doubled unison, if we’re using an inversion of the augmented sixth chord).

But an augmented sixth is nothing else than a b7. Ab to F# is the same as Ab to Gb. If we now add the 3rd of the chord, we get an Ab7 dominant chord without the 5th. And this C wants to go to the 3rd of the G chord like this… This is the Italian augmented sixth chord.

If we also add the 5th of the chord (Eb) we get the German augmented sixth. And of course Eb wants to go to a D (the 5th of the G chord)

So now, we have a beautiful tension-release effect. These two notes resolve in contrary motion. By the way, in the Italian sixth we can double the 3rd of the chord — since we don’t have the Eb — and then, one C moves down to the B, and the other moves up to the D.

But what if the Eb is already resolved to the D? That’s the French augmented sixth.

The D is already present in the augmented sixth chord. It doesn’t have to move at all.

So now, when you see a problem like this…

…just think like this:

The Ab wants to move down a half step. So it goes to G, which must be the 5th of the key. And the G is the V in the key of C minor. So we’re in the key of C minor. We’re going to resolve the G’s in octaves. So the top note has to be a leading tone to G (F#). And there’s your augmented sixth (Ab to F#)

And we add the 3rd of the chord (C) which by the way, is always the tonic of the key that we’re in. And to make it a French augmented sixth, we have to add a D — which is the 5th of the G chord — already resolved in the chord. This D is actually the b5 of our Ab chord.

So once you understand the purpose of this chord, and how it works, it’s very easy to solve this problem.

Let’s do another one.

This Eb will move down to D. D is the V in our key, then we’re in the key of G minor. And the other D — an octave above — should be approached by its leading tone (C#)

Then we add the 3rd of the chord, which is our tonic, and since it says that it’s an Italian augmented sixth, we just double it. I’m going to go ahead and put it an octave higher in the upper voice. Now, one G moves down to F#, and the other moves up to A. A nice D chord.

Let’s do a German augmented sixth.

So, F has to move down to E, right? Then, E is the V of our key, which means we’re in A minor. Now we have to add the leading tone to E — which is D#. Now we add the 3rd (A) and the 5th (C). So this chord is the German augmented sixth in the key of A minor, and look: it’s an F7! It just looks weird when we write it down like this, and of course, it resolves to an E chord like this…

And remember, this is just a substitute of the V/V — on the opposite side of our circle. This German augmented sixth, in the key of A minor, is just an F7 that is replacing the B7 — the five of E.

I think it’s super interesting how harmony has its roots in counterpoint. Nowadays we would never write an F7 chord like this but, should we?

If you want to get access to this (and many other) pdf worksheets with all sorts of music related topics, you can join our “Exclusive Access” membership on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBCch4Wd-JAuyURvmmA1oyQ/join

And you can check out download Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro which is the app I used to present the video.

How To Practice Jazz Improvisation in 7 StepsI want to show you one of my favorite exercise to practice improvisation. It’s a 7-step progressive exercise that you can practice every day, no matter what your level is. You can use it as a warm-up, to clean up concepts, do ear training, and memorize songs at the same time .

Watch the entire lesson on how to practice jazz improvisation in 7 steps

Although it’s a 7-step process, you don’t need to do all seven steps every single time. Depending on your level, you can do the first three steps, or just the first one; whatever you want. But I recommend that you always start from step one and progress through the rest every time you do it.

Before you begin practicing, choose a Jazz Standard. I’m going to use “My Foolish Heart“. It’s a ballad with at most two chords per measure (which makes it ideal for this exercise)

Seven steps to practice jazz improvisation

Play the seventh chords broken in eighth notes, in root position. If you’re a piano player, you can play the root on your left hand if you feel like it. Ignoring the tensions in the score. I’m just playing the seventh chords, and break the chords going up

Next, we’re going to use inversions.This time, think of the first note in every chord, as a target note, and create a line out of them. Don’t worry too much about voice leading — it doesn’t have to be perfect from chord to chord. Just see if you can hear the first note — you’ll play — in your head, before you play it.

Alternate the arpeggios up and then down

Start with the arpeggios going down. So, first down and then up

Broken 7th chords with no rules. Play angular lines.All right, this next step might be a bit easier, but it will challenge your ability to take decisions while you improvise. We’re removing the rule of playing the complete seventh chord and also, of going up or down. You can break the chord as you wish.We’re still only drawing notes from the seventh chords. Do not worry about playing all of the notes. Try hearing that first note on each chord as a target note. By the way, if you have Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro, you can use the target notes feature, as a framework, for this step.

Add a chromatic approach from below.We’re still going to be thinking about that first note as a target note, but this time, we’re going to play a chromatic approach, from below, on the downbeat of the chord. So on a Bbmaj7, I’m going to think of the D as my target note (for example). Then I’ll play a C# on the downbeat of measure one, and then play the D, like this… This is a great step to start using notes — that are very dissonant — on top of the chords, and how the tension is released when you play the next note.

Anticipate with an enclosure, diatonic from above + chromatic from belowSo, this is the last step. It’s a bit harder, but if you can get through it, it will change the way you improvise. So, what we’re going to do is: we’re going to play an enclosure — diatonic from above, and chromatic from below — to our target. This is also known as “trapping the note”, but now, we’re going to play the enclosure before the downbeat, and target the note on the downbeat. And when we say diatonic, we mean diatonic to the key that you’re in. So, on a Dm7, we’re approaching the F with a G from above — because G is diatonic to the key of Bb. The challenge here, is that we have to start thinking about — and playing — the next chord, while we’re playing the current chord. Not easy!

Free Play

All right. So, did you do all the steps? Awesome! Did you stop at step one? Well, that’s fine too!But don’t end the exercise here!No matter which step you stopped on, I want you to integrate some Free Play into your playing. Improvise over the entire song again, only this time, loosely using the concepts that you just practiced. And when I say loosely, I mean it! Let your ears guide you. Don’t consciously follow any rules. Think as little as you can. Let it go! I promise you’ll see all these things — that you just practiced — begin to emerge in your playing, without you even having to think about them.

How to spot and label Secondary Dominants. Music Theory / Tonal Harmony LessonIf you’re taking a harmony course, you’ve certainly come across the concept of secondary dominants and endless exercises, where you’re given a piece of sheet music in which you have to label all the secondary dominants.

Well, today I’m going to give you a simple trick to spot and label secondary dominants. We won’t get into secondary neapolitan 6th chords or augmented 6th chords. Just secondary V and viio chords. And also, for simplicity, we will only look at pieces in major keys.

Watch this lesson in video format

Step 1: Find the key of the piece

To do that you just need to look at the key signature. If it has no accidentals, you’re in the key of C major.

If the key signature has sharps, then the key is a note a half step above the last sharp.

So, here the last sharp is a G#, and a half step above G# is A. So this piece is in the key of A major. Basically, the last sharp is the leading tone of the key.

And the last sharp in this piece, is A#. So this is in the key of B.

If the key signature has flats then the key is the second to last flat.

So here, the second to last is an Eb, then this is in Eb major.

This one is in Ab major.

If there’s only one flat, then it’s in the key of F major.

Step 2: Draw a circle of fifths in the key of the piece.

Yes! It is essential that you know the circle of fifths. It will save you tons of time when studying any music theory related topic. And to put a circle of fifths in a key, just draw the standard circle of fifths in C, and then turn it around until the note that represents the tonic of the key is at the top.

So, that is the circle in C major. Let’s say we have a piece in G major – with one sharp in the key signature. Then, all we have to do is rotate the circle counter-clockwise once, to get the G at the top, and we have a circle of fifths in the key of G major.

Or if we’re in Bb major – with two flats  – we rotate the circle yet again until the Bb is at the top. And we have a circle of fifths in the key of Bb.

Step 3: Draw a straight line from the 11 o’clock position across the circle, to the 5 o’clock position.

All the notes to the right are the diatonic notes. These are the notes of your major scale in that key. So this circle is in the key of C, and these notes are in the C major scale.

Here’s the circle in G major. So these are the notes in the G major scale.

And here’s the circle in Bb major, and these are the notes in the key of Bb.

Just make sure to use the correct accidentals. Don’t mix flats with sharps!

Step 4: Label the notes as degrees.

So, C is the I, D is the ii, E is the iii, F is the IV, G is the five, A is the vi, and B is the vii. The cool thing is that these labels are the same for every key.

In the key of G, G is the I and, D is the V and, A is the ii, and so on…

So, once you know where these labels go, you’ll never have to change them ever again.

Step 5: Write the leading tones for each diatonic note.

The leading tone is a half step below the note. So the leading tone for C is B. The leading tone for G is F#, and the leading tone for D is C#. You get the idea… And for the IV chord — the one at 11 o’clock — we’re gonna write the leading tone of the I, lowered by a half step. So, we turn the B under the C, into a Bb that goes under the F.

If the circle was in the key of G we would do the exact same thing. The leading tone for G is F#, for D is C#, and so on… And the only exception is for the IV chord. For this chord, you are always going to pair the root of this chord with the b7 of the key that you’re in. Not the leading tone! The leading tone of the IV chord is already in the key. So, it won’t show as an accidental in the score. But the b7 of the key will appear as an accidental.

So for C – the IV, at 11 o’clock – we change this F# to an F natural, lowering it by a half step. Now we have an accidental to look for, that will help us identify something that is targeting the IV.

In the key of Bb, we have an A as the leading tone for Bb then, E is the leading tone for F. Then, a B natural for C, and so on… Remember, the leading tone is always a half step below the target. And for the IV chord (Eb), we take this A, and lower it a half step to Ab.

That’s it!With this information you are ready to spot and label any secondary dominant in a piece of music.

If you come across an accidental that isn’t paired with one of your diatonic notes,you’re probably dealing with a more advanced secondary function.

So let me show you how easy it is to use this new enhanced circle of fifths.

Here I have a measure from Beethoven’s Sonata Opus 14 No.2, and the one sharp in the key signature tells me that we’re in the key of G major.

We have a couple of accidentals, and they are sharps. These are great candidates to potentially be secondary dominants. The first one is a G#. So, we look at our new and improved circle of fifths, and we look for a leading tone that’s a G#.

And of course, we find it there! G# is the leading tone to A. So this is almost certainly a secondary dominant that targets an A chord in the key of G. A is the ii in G major, so you can assume with confidence that this is going to be a secondary of ii.

Now, it could be the V/ii, or the V7/ii, or the viio/ii, or the viio7/ii. The only thing you have to do, to figure this out, is to see if the next note in the circle – moving clockwise – appears in the chord. That would be an E, in our case.

That’s because the next note in the circle is always the V of the previous note. Remember, this is the circle of fifths. So, is there an E in this chord? Yes!

So it’s either a V/ii or a V7/ii. And there’s a D. So, that means this is an E7. So this is a V7/ii. Of course, it’s an inversion, because the lowest note is not an E. It’s a G#. So we write V65/ii. 65 because G# to E is a 6th, and G# to D is a 5th.

Then we see a C#.

Probably another leading tone: C#, the leading tone to D. And D is the V. So we already know this is a secondary of V. Now, is it a viio, or is it a V? To figure it out, we look for an a the next note in the circle after D.

In other words, the V of D. If the A is there, then it’s a V of D. If it’s not, it’s a viio of D. And there it is!

An A in the bass. So this is a V of D. If there’s a G then it’s an A7 the V7. If not, then it’s a simple a triad – the V. And the G is there.

So this is an A7, which we can label with confidence as a V7/V.

In the video we show two more examples from Beethoven’s Pathetic Sonata and Chopin’s Valse Brillante.

We’ve prepared a PDF with the enhanced circle of fifths in all keys, which you can download right now if you’re an exclusive access member.

And if you’re not a member, you can become one by clicking on this link: Join Exclusive Access to download this pdf, along with all the other exclusive content that we publish on a regular basis.