A2 Music Revision Guide: Section A

Listening
Augmented 6ths

There are three types: German, French and Italian, sound like a dominant 7 th 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.