Augmented 6ths, Extended Roman notation Options

[SueHM]

I'm getting really confused about how to describe augmented 6th chords (German etc) with Extended Roman notation.

Do you use the bass note of the chord as written to 'name' the chord?

Do you need to specify the chromatically altered notes in the notation or is it sufficient to call it German or whatever and these things are assumed?

Quite difficult to explain without fancy fonts that do sharps and flats etc...

Does anyone know of a good book/website? I've tried the AB pink and blue books and Harmony in Practice but they haven't really answered the question for me.

Any help gratefully received!

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[sbhoa]

I don't think I ever described them that way.
On a theory paper I'd just use words.

[Kai-Lei]

It is made difficult because of so many views on how these chords are derived. I learned them as the second inversion of the incomplete supertonic chromatic with the bass flatteded a semitone. I no longer think of them like that! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

If forced I'd probably use figured notation or just put G6 I6 or F6 hoping that if someone was able to analyse that kind of harmony they would spot what was happening.

In composing people just use them when they want that sound in a cadence.

Kai

[SueHM]

Thanks both, glad I'm not the only one who finds these tricky!

[BusyBee]

Hi Sue,

I was meandering through Eric Taylor's AB Guide Book Two while I was watching the Henman match on TV this evening and I think I found an answer to your question.

Fairly straightforward I think:

The notes Ab C Eb F# are described as a bVI in C (the little b is the best I can do as a flat sign on here)
(Taylor, The AB Guide to Music Theory, p164)

Later in the book there is an example in G minor with the same notes as above with the extended Roman label - bII6 (a little 6 though of course). (Taylor, Appendix D, xiii)


Hope this helps (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

P.S I wonder if the AB moderators could provide the theory forum with a list of sharps, flats, naturals etc for us to click on to use. Like Sibelius?