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The term A '''Picardy Third''' refers to using the I (major) chord instead of i (minor) in a minor key (or mode with a minor tonic chord). As such it briefly borrows the consonance and resolution that the I chord creates, without actually modulating into a major key. It is used in place of the i chord on resolving cadences, not in passing i chords in the middle or beginning of a progression.
<u>'''Chromatic Chords</u> ''' are non-diatonic chords that do not fit into the secondary or borrowed categories mentioned above. While they can take many varieties, the types explained below are the most common (and "musical").
<u>'''Augmented Sixth Chords</u> ''' are named for the augmented 6th interval they contain. An A6 is enharmonically equivalent to a m7 interval; however, it is spelled as an A6 here for its relation to the surrounding key and its harmonic usage. The A6 occurs between the m6 and A4 notes of the key. The chords take a sub-dominant harmonic function, and when resolving to v or V, the m6 resolves down a half-step while the A4 resolves up a half-step to form an octave of the P5 of the key's tonic note.
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{{Advanced Lesson Crumbs|3}}
Strict diatonic note and chord selection provides a gigantic amount of possibility for song-writing and solo'ing; however, it still places us inside a box that we occasionally want to escape. '''Non-diatonic chords''' allow us to do so. For any key, the possibilities for non-diatonic chords are huge. We limit ourselves to a few popular examples listed below. These fall under one of a few categories.
* '''Tonicizations''' use diatonic chords from other keys to temporarily alter the tonic center of the harmony.* '''Borrowed chords''' use diatonic chords from other keys with the same tonic note.* '''Chromatic chords''' cover all remaining cases. They maintain the tonic note but are non-diatonic to all the standard parallel keys/modes. They borrow from the chromatic scale, which allows any possible chord to be formed.
== PreReqs ==
== Tonicizations ==
A '''Tonicization''' is the use of a chord to briefly change the tonic note, and thus the harmony used to create and resolve tension. It shifts the gravity from the prior tonic note to the new one, but so briefly that we don't lose the pull of the prior tonic.
=== Difference from Modulation ===
=== Secondary Dominant ===
<small>''also called '''borrowed dominant'''''</small>
The most common borrowed chord is the V (or V7) of V chord, commonly notated as ''V/V'' or ''V7/V''. Basically, if we think of the current key's V chord as a I chord, it is the V chord above that. So for the key of C Major, V is G major. In the key of G Major, V is D major. Thus, in the key of C Major, V/V is D major. Notice, the diatonic chord in the key of C Major with a root note of D is actually D minor, making the V/V D major chord a non-diatonic chord. Similarly, in the key of A Harmonic Minor, V is E major, so V/V is B major. The diatonic chord would be B diminished.
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Notice that both of the first two progressions feature D - G. In G Major, it's V - I. In C Major, it's V/V - V. G Major is built on the fifth note of C Major; it is the '''V key'''. In both progressions they contain the same basic dominant-resolution feel, yet by occurring at different parts of the V/V - V - I progression, they serve somewhat different functions. In the first example of C Major, it does not fully resolve to the actual I chord, getting us only halfway there; whereas in G Major, it completes the progression by landing on the true tonic chord.
The A Harmonic Minor example illustrates that the technique works equally well for a minor tonality, when using the harmonic minor variation to get the major V chord.
== Borrowed Chords ==
Chords can also be '''borrowed ''' from the parallel major/minor of the current key.
=== Borrowing from Minor ===
=== Picardy Third ===
Natural Minor:
== Chromatic Chords ==
=== Augmented Sixth Chords ===
If that was confusing hopefully this example helps: In C Major, an augmented sixth chord will feature A{{f}} and F{{s}} (the distance from A{{f}} to F{{s}} is 11 semitones or an A6 interval). To move to the dominant or V chord (G), A{{f}} descends to G and F{{s}} ascends to G, increasing the distance to 13 semitones or 1 octave.
==== Italian ====
The <u>'''Italian 6th</u> ''' (It+6 or It6) features the m6, U, and A4 notes from the current key. In other words, it is comprised of root, M3, and A6. In C Major, it consists of (A{{b}} C F{{s}}).
R M3 A6
==== French ====
The <u>'''French 6th</u> ''' (Fr+6 or Fr<sup>4</sup><sub>3</sub>) has the same notes as the Italian 6th, plus the M2 note above the key's tonic (m6 U M2 A4). In C Major, that's (A{{f}} C D F{{s}}).
R M3 A4 A6
==== German ====
The <u>'''German 6th</u> ''' (Gr+6 or Gr<sup>6</sup><sub>5</sub>) similarly takes the Italian and adds a note, but here the note is the m3 above the key's tonic note (m6 U m3 A4). In C Major, that's (A{{f}} C E{{f}} F{{s}}).
R M3 P5 A6
=== Neapolitan Chord ===
A '''Neapolitan Chord''' is a major chord using the m2 of the scale as its root ({{f}}II). It is typically voiced in first inversion, creating a 6th interval between the bass note (3rd) and high note (root) in its triad formulation. Thus, it is often called the Neapolitan 6th, notated as {{f}}II{{6}} or N{{6}}.
Harmonically, it functions as a sub-dominant and can be substituted for ii or IV (or iv in a minor key).
As we saw [[E_Minor,_D_Minor,_and_A_Minor_Chords|earlier]], the mediant chord is a third above the tonic and the submediant is a third below. Depending on the key, this could be a minor or major third.
'''Chromatic Mediants''' are non-diatonic mediant or submediant chords for the given key. This is done by using the mediant/submediant of the parallel minor/major key, using the parallel chord (changing the quality of the chord from major to minor or vice versa), or both.
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You may notice that some of these chords could be considered secondary chords for other tonalities (for example VI is enharmonically equivalent to V/ii). However, they are used differently. '''Most commonly they progress to and from the tonic or as part of a modulation to another key.'''
The mediant relationship between chords is a quite harmonic one, and it's possible to use any combination of mediant chords in succession. We will lose the tonality of the original key by doing so. This prevents a complete resolution and might fail to produce closure for a progression, but makes for a very interesting journey. For example, let's move in mediants and try to return to our tonic:
== Related Lessons ==
* [[Modulation|Prev: Modulation]]* [[Modes|Next: ModesMusic Theory - Diatonic Chord Progressions]]
[[Category:Guitar]]