Augmented 6th chords in classical music … is there an equivalent in jazz

[HomespunEffects]

In studying music theory I’ve come across augmented sixth chords in old classical tunes.

You take the minor sixth degree of the scale, add an augmented 6, put the tonic note in the middle and you get this chromatic chord for the key. In C it’s A♭ C F#. It’s all the same notes as A♭ C G♭ which looks very familiar. If we go one step forward the German sixth adds a fifth giving us A♭ C E♭ G♭. That’s just A♭⁷.

The augmented sixth generally leads to the 5 chord, which in C is G so the German sixth is the same as a Tritone substitution A♭⁷ - G.

Discuss.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

In studying music theory I’ve come across augmented sixth chords in old classical tunes.

You take the minor sixth degree of the scale, add an augmented 6, put the tonic note in the middle and you get this chromatic chord for the key. In C it’s A♭ C F#. It’s all the same notes as A♭ C G♭ which looks very familiar. If we go one step forward the German sixth adds a fifth giving us A♭ C E♭ G♭. That’s just A♭⁷.

The augmented sixth generally leads to the 5 chord, which in C is G so the German sixth is the same as a Tritone substitution A♭⁷ - G.

Discuss.

In Jazz it’s called the subVofV

 

[HomespunEffects]

In Jazz it’s called the subVofV

♭2⁷of5 (I know, I know. I won’t start this again.)

If anyone else is reading the other versions of augmented sixth chords are Italian (leaves out the fifth) and French (moves the fifth down a half step like an altered dominant).