Added 6th

Added 6th Chord

So in Higher literacy you have studied triads. A Triad is built from 3 notes; the Root, the Third and the Fifth.

For example:

The Tonic Triad of G major consists of

• G - the Root Note
• B - the Third Note up from G
• D - the Fifth Note up from G.

If we were to take this triad and turn it into an Added 6th, it's actually the simplest thing in the world - you add the 6th note up from G onto it.

The chord then becomes G6 and it consists of:

• G - the Root Note
• B - the Third Note up from G
• D - the Fifth Note up from G
• E - the Sixth Note up from G.

It is literally, that simple.

It gets more interesting when you have to listen out for one in music and you can't see it written out for you.

You'll notice that the 5th and the 6th are next-door notes, or an interval of a 2nd. You'll know if you've ever played a 2nd on a piano, they don't sound nice, they are discordant.

You'll also know that a triad is a pleasant sounding stack of notes; Root+3rd+5th (Do-Mi-So) creates a nice sound.

Adding a 6th to a triad creates a dissonant effect. It colours the timbre of the music differently - some people think it sounds like a lazy chord, some think it sounds light and sunny. Some think it's jazzy, some think it's cheesy...

Who knows? Who's wrong? who's right? Who cares, really?
The point is you know what it sounds like.

Let's look at how C6 is laid out on a keyboard.

This right here ^ is the Triad of C major; CEG with an Added 6th; A.

You can see the clashing notes at the top of the chord. That G and A are going to be dissonant.

This guy plays that very Added 6th chord: Stop this at 30 seconds if you get bamboozled by his chat. He goes into a lot of detail that isn't necessary at this point.

The Major 6th, or Added 6th, chord is used mainly in more modern music. here's a wee playlist of tunes that feature the Added 6th, with a bit of guidance for you to identify it:

If you look closely at the examples of Toothbrush, and She Loves You I'll point out where it happens for you:

1. DNCE: Toothbrush:

"Baby you don't have to rush/ You can leave a toothbrush/ At my place/ At my place"

This bit in bold, is bar 2 of the excerpt of printed music.

Look at Bar 2. It says "D6". The left hand is built up, bottom to top, of D (root), F# (3rd), A (5th), and B (Added 6th).

The progression is repeated throughout the song. Hear the dissonance of that interval at the top of the chord?

2. The Beatles: She Loves You

Go to the very last note of the piece - the singers split the Added 6th chord, and the characteristic dissonance can clearly be heard. This happens right on the nose at 2:16.

This song from Frozen uses an E6 chord throughout. 

It is the first chord of the piano accompaniment.

It happens alot. Get listening in for the dissonance... and enjoy wee Olaf singing to you.