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What is it?
The Neapolitan Sixth chord (N6) is a major triad build on the flatted second degree of any tonality. So, in C (major and minor) it would be Db.
It’s a foreign chord in both cases, but in major tonalities this chord has two non-diatonic tones, whereas in minor tonalities it has only one non-diatonic tone. Therefore in major tonalities it sounds slightly more “out” than in minor tonalities.The term “Sixth” is a misnomer, because this chord has nothing to do with a real 6th chord. It would be more appropriate to call it a “Six” chord. The reason is that in the vast majority of the cases, this chord is used in first inversion voicing.
In classical terminology (figured bass or four-part harmony theory), this voicing is notated “6” to indicate that the second note of the chord is a 6th above the bass note (the 3rd between the bass note and the first note is assumed). For example, a C/E major chord is (E G C) and its second note (C) is a 6th above the bass.
By the same token, a second inversion voicing is notated (4,6) to indicate that the first note above the bass is a 4th away and the second note is a 6th away, as in C/G = (G C E).This N6 chord is traditionally associated with the opera composers from Naples during the Baroque period, and more specifically with Alessandro Scarlatti. But in fact, it has been commonly used much earlier than that and it is pervasive throughout the Common Practice period (Baroque, Classical and Romantic). It is actually hard to find a composer who did not use it: Bach, Mozart, Wagner, Beethoven, Chopin Liszt, … all used the N6. Beethoven’s famous Moonlight Sonata even uses it extensively!
In the Common Practice period, this chord was almost always associated with deep sadness (Beethoven) and even death (Wagner).For whatever obscure reason the N6 chord is not used much anymore in contemporary music, except in film scores (John Williams uses it extensively in almost all his scores).
In jazz it is not used AFAIK, and in pop/rock it is seldom used (Don’t Stay by Linking Park is a classical counter example).So, how do you use it?
The Neapolitan Six is a “pre-dominant” chord, meaning that it usually introduces the dominant chord (i.e. the V chord). In Europe, “pre-dominant chords” are also called “subdominant chords” – just so you know.
So, it is a substitute for the II or IV chord in IV – V – I cadences, which become bII – V – I.
The N6 chord is usually used in the minor tonalities and more rarely in the major tonalities.In A minor for example, you would have the progression: Bb E Am
But as indicated above, that Bb chord (Bb D F) will usually be voiced in first inversion, i.e. with the note D in the bass: (D F Bb); therefore: Bb/D – E – Am
In the attachment the first example demonstrates this progression.A common variation of this progression is the following: Bb/D – Am/E – E – Am
The I chord right after the N6 is voiced in second inversion.
The second example in the attachment demonstrates this.That N6 chord can also used as a tonic prolongation chord (in which case it is used in root position); for example in C major: C – Db – C
This is how it is usually used in pop music in those rare occasions where it is actually used…Finally, it can be used as a pivot chord to modulate to the tonality a half step above the current tonic: C – G – C – Db – Ab7 – Db
Have fun with it!
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Never heard of a Neapolitan Sixth chord before, Jean-Michel, but I do like it a lot! Thank you for the example, did you write it yourself? I bet you could write a music theory book or …. have you? 😉
🎸JoLa
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Thanks JoLa,
Yes, I’m afraid the two examples are mine 😉 I just wanted to make that dry theoretical stuff a bit more tangible.
And no, I haven’t written a music theory book… yet LOL. But I probably never will, because there are already many good ones out there.I think that N6 chord does a nice job of spicing up a standard II – V – I progression.
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Hi JM also never heard of this one before either had a look on YouTube for guitar examples and took a screen shot of your example for later cheers interesting but I don’t play classical.
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Nice OP with clear and digestible information about the N6!
What I never quite understood from a functional Harmony perspective is the ‘functional’ discrepancy between the N6 and the more notorious bV7/V (aka tritone substitution) which arises from a subtle difference in sonorities between the two chords.
As a reminder: bV7/V is a very common substitution technique in which the dominant chord (V OR V7) is substituted with a secondary dominant build upon a diminished fifth degree higher, OR a semitone lowered fifth away from the original dominant.
For example in C major:
I = C E G
V7 = G B D FThe fifth degree of G is D so a semitone lower yields Db, which makes -with an added dominant 7-;
bV7/V = Db – F – Ab – BYou can see why it’s also called a tritone substitution, because the dissonant tritone interval between the 3rd and 7th in the ‘normal’ dominant 7 chord (B – F) which is largely responsible for its dominant flavor is remained but -due to the symmetry- reversed as the tritone interval has now become F – B.
The bV7/V has a potent dominant sound but the difference with N6 isn’t that great at all:
N6 in C major = F – Ab – Db
bV7/V in C major = Db – F – Ab – BIf you choose to leave the 7th (B) out you actually get the exact same notes and depending on whether you play in first inversion or not the exact same sonorities.
You for example could think of an altered predominant – dominant – tonic progression (or simple ii – V – I) in this case as N6 – bV7/V – I or written out in C major :
N6 = F – Ab – Db
bV7/V in first = F – Ab – Db – B
I = C – E – GSo long story short, because I wanted readers to know what I’m precisely asking:
What’s creating the ‘functional’ discrepancy between N6 and bV7/V ?
1) Is it merely the added 7th (B in C major) because you’ve just introduced the leading tone (semitone under the tonic) which is lacking in N6?2) Is it the ‘power’ of the dissonant tritone interval (F – B) which is lacking in N6?
3) Is it the combination of these two, adding a B inherently introduces a tritone interval like killing two birds with one stone?
4) Is it the inversion in N6 which is partially responsible for a less distinct dominant sound?
As inversions of higher orders take away more and more of the obvious root in such a way that second inversions more often than not already sound like the root is the fifth instead of the tonic. This is the whole idea behind the harmonic tool ‘the cadential 6/4’.My ears can’t seem to figure this one out in a structural way since you can test the different hypotheses by playing N6 – bV7/V – I with slight alterations respectively;
1) omit 3rd in bV7/V so you have N6 – bV7/V no 3rd – I
2 and 3) omit 7th in bV7/V so you have N6 – bV/V – I
3 and 4) Or introducing the dominant 7 in the N6 so IT also contains a tritone interval, yet played in first inversion as opposed to bV7/V which is played in root position
4) Or like I’ve mentioned before you could play the bV7/V in first inversion and see if the harmonic dominance deteriorates and the bV7/V starts to sound more like a predominant.Frankly, I can’t really tell haha. To me the knowledge of whether a chord is functioning as a predominant OR dominant in a certain context is a huuuuge bias and fiddling around with different sonorities, inversions and omissions don’t yield any distinct harmonic functions at all, although the most satisfying resolution is obtained by playing the original unaltered N6 in first inversion – bV7/V in root position without any omissions – I in root position.
But I’m sure everyone’s ears are hearing things in a different way so I was curious about the opinions of others…what do you think?
Is it most importantly the tritone which makes the difference between the dominant Tritone substitution and predominant N6 or is the first inversion in N6 which makes the bII as a root less obvious than the bII in bV7/V which plays a crucial role in a descending chromatic root passage as bII pulls to I? Is it any combination of the things I’ve mentioned here or maybe something entirely else I haven’t thought about in the first place?I’m curious what you guys think!
With kind regards,
Dennis
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Hi Dennis,
I’m not sure I fully understand what you mean with “functional discrepancy”… but I think I understand your question(s). So…
The big difference between the N6 and the bII7 chords is that the former is a pre-dominant chord whereas the latter is a dominant chord. That’s a clear-cut functional difference!
If you add a m7 tone to an N6 chord, you turn it into a dominant chord because it will then contain the tritone and it will consequently require a resolution towards the tonic.
So the main differentiator factor is the tritone, I think.Another way of putting this is to say that N6 is a subs for II, whereas bII7 is a subs for V7.
The fact that the N6 chord is usually voiced in first inversion is IMO an aesthetic thing justified by the voice leading principles of the Common Practice period: the bass movement is much smoother when the N6 is inverted.
…just my 0.02 € !
Regards,
JM
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