AugmentedSixthsorTritoneSubs?

PostedonSeptember18,2016byJasonLeaveacomment

Iwasrecentlyremindedofmydustyschooldayswhen
someoneaskedmehowjazzusesaugmentedsixthchords.
Oh,Idosolovetheseinvitationstogiveafagpacket
explanationandgetmyselfintotrouble

Isupposethesimplestansweristhatjazzusesaugmented
sixthsallovertheplace,itjustdoesntthinkofthemas
augmentedsixthsatall.

Theonlyrealdifferencebetweenanaugmentedsixthchord
andadominantchordisthattheformercarriesspecific
expectationsastothedirectionthetonesaretoresolve.This
chordistypicallynotateddeliberatelytohighlightitsraised
sixthiness(whichmeansusingeyecatchingaccidentalson
thatnote).

Theharmonicfunctionoftheaugmentedsixthisasapredominantchord,andoneallowingforalotofchromatic
interest.Thethreeclassicvariations(German,ItalianandFrench)areasfollows,preparingthearrivalofG
dominant:

Ge6:AbCEbF#
It6:AbCCF#
Fr6:AbCDF#

TheaugmentedsixthchordappearsonthebVIofthekey,andtheideaisthatthelowestvoicedropsandthe
highestonerises,bothbysemitone,totherootofthefollowingVchordanoctaveapart.Themiddlevoicesgo
whereyoudexpect,toBandD.TheGermanoneishighlyorganisedandeverythingslipsbysemitone(howvery
German),theItalianonehasthetwinCsresolvingindifferentdirections(howveryItalian),andwiththeFrench
one,theDisalreadytheresostaysput(howveryFrench)

Whatdoesajazzbrainmakeofthis?Well,wedprobablythink:bigdeal,thatsaiiVwithatritonesubstitutionon
theiiAb7G(7).AndwedseetheGermanandItalianonesasAb7,theFrenchoneasAb7#11.(Thereare
supposedlySwiss,EnglishandAustralianonestoo,butIveneverreallygoneintothem.)

Sowhataclassicalbraingetsasanaugmentedsixth,ajazzbraingetsaspartofatritonesuborminorbluesii
V.Andweprettymuchresolvethetonesinanydirectionwelike,cozwell,thatsjazz.Andwedoanythingwe
likewithourdominants,thankyouverymuch.

AugmentedsixthscanalsoprecedeI64chords(thatstonicoverfivetoyou)toextendacadence.Youcome
acrossthismotionincertainearlybluesyminortunesegAb7Cm(withorwithoutGinthebass).Again,ajazz
mindwouldprobablyjustcallthisatritonesubbediiI,andnotworryverymuchaboutthesixthinessornationality.

Lateron,theclassicalchapsincreasinglyusedtheambiguityofaugmentedsixthchords(sortofdominantandsort
ofdiminished),amongotherthings,tomodulatewildlyinallkindsoffunkyways.Thistendencyeventuallyledto
classicalmusicbecomingsochromaticthatsomepeoplestartedfumingthatithardlyevenmadesenseanymore.
Wagnerusuallygetsthecreditforthis,butcomposerslikeLisztwereexploringthisterritorybeforehim
(theSonatainBminor,forinstance,foretoldmostofthe20thcenturystuff).YoucouldarguethatBeethovengot
thereevenearlier.
Therearelotsofpossibilities,butourjazzbrainswould
recognisealotofthemasjustgoingwherethetritonesubbed
dominantshouldgo.Fakingitout.Inotherwords,dominants
freelychangingidentitymidchordtowhizzoffintoanotherkey.