music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

, an augmented sixth () is an interval produced by widening a

major sixth In music theory, a sixth is a musical interval encompassing six note letter names or staff positions (see Interval number for more details), and the major sixth is one of two commonly occurring sixths. It is qualified as ''major'' because it ...

by a

chromatic semitone In modern Western tonal music theory an augmented unison or augmented prime is the interval between two notes on the same staff position, or denoted by the same note letter, whose alterations cause them, in ordinary equal temperament, to be one ...

.Benward & Saker (2003). ''Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I'', p.54. . Specific example of an A6 not given but general example of augmenting major intervals described. For instance, the interval from C to A is a major sixth, nine semitones wide, and both the intervals from C to A, and from C to A are augmented sixths, spanning ten semitones. Being augmented, it is considered a

dissonant In music, consonance and dissonance are categorizations of simultaneous or successive sounds. Within the Western tradition, some listeners associate consonance with sweetness, pleasantness, and acceptability, and dissonance with harshness, unple ...

interval. Its

inversion Inversion or inversions may refer to: Arts * ''Inversion'' (artwork), a 2005 temporary sculpture in Houston, Texas * Inversion (music), a term with various meanings in music theory and musical set theory * ''Inversions'' (novel) by Iain M. Bank ...

is the

diminished third In classical music from Western culture, a diminished third () is the interval (music), musical interval produced by Diminution, narrowing a minor third by a chromatic semitone.Benward & Saker (2003). ''Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I'', p. ...

, and its

enharmonic In music, two written notes have enharmonic equivalence if they produce the same pitch but are notated differently. Similarly, written intervals, chords, or key signatures are considered enharmonic if they represent identical pitches that ar ...

equivalent is the

minor seventh In music theory, a minor seventh is one of two musical intervals that span seven staff positions. It is ''minor'' because it is the smaller of the two sevenths, spanning ten semitones. The major seventh spans eleven. For example, the interval ...

. In

septimal meantone temperament In music, septimal meantone temperament, also called ''standard septimal meantone'' or simply ''septimal meantone'', refers to the tempering of 7-limit musical intervals by a meantone temperament tuning in the range from fifths flattened by the am ...

, it is specifically equivalent to the

harmonic seventh The harmonic seventh interval, also known as the septimal minor seventh, or subminor seventh, is one with an exact 7:4 ratio (about 969 cent (music), cents). This is about 32 cents narrower, with a more stable and consonant sound, than a ...

just interval In music, just intonation or pure intonation is a tuning system in which the space between notes' frequencies (called intervals) is a whole number ratio. Intervals spaced in this way are said to be pure, and are called just intervals. Just int ...

of 7:4). In 12-tone

equal temperament An equal temperament is a musical temperament or Musical tuning#Tuning systems, tuning system that approximates Just intonation, just intervals by dividing an octave (or other interval) into steps such that the ratio of the frequency, frequencie ...

, the augmented sixth is equal to ten semitones and is a

interval. The augmented sixth is relatively rare. Its most common occurrence is built on the lowered

submediant In music, the submediant is the sixth degree () of a diatonic scale. The submediant ("lower mediant") is named thus because it is halfway between the tonic and the subdominant ("lower dominant") or because its position below the tonic is symm ...

of the prevailing key, in which position the interval assumes a natural tendency to resolve by expanding to an

octave In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...

built on the dominant tonal degree. In its most common and expected resolution, the lower note of the interval moves downwards by a

minor second A semitone, also called a minor second, half step, or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between ...

to the dominant while the upper note, being chromatically inflected, is heard as the leading note of the dominant key, rising naturally by a minor second. It is the strong tendency to resolve in this way that properly identifies this interval as being an augmented sixth rather than its more common enharmonic equivalent: the minor seventh, which has a tendency to resolve inwardly. As the augmented sixth is correctly named only in certain specific contexts, the notational distinction between it and the minor seventh is often ignored. Regardless of the true

diatonic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are used to characterize scales. The terms are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a pair ...

context, many writers are instead in favor of the more familiar minor seventh – especially in chord notation, in which chords containing it are always labeled

seventh chord A seventh chord is a chord (music), chord consisting of a triad (music), triad plus a note forming an interval (music), interval of a Interval (music), seventh above the chord's root (chord), root. When not otherwise specified, a "seventh chord" ...

s. The augmented sixth interval in combination with certain other intervals forms the group of chords known collectively as

augmented sixth chord In music theory, an augmented sixth chord contains the interval (music), interval of an augmented sixth, usually above its bass note, bass tone. This chord (music), chord has its origins in the Renaissance music, Renaissance, was further develop ...

s. The just augmented sixth arises in the extended C major scale between A and F.Paul, Oscar (1885).
A manual of harmony for use in music-schools and seminaries and for self-instruction
', p.165. Theodore Baker, trans. G. Schirmer.

See also

References

Further reading