• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Breaking Barlines

Online Music Theory Lessons: Turn Sound Into Skill

  • Home
  • Teaching Samples
  • Music Theory Lessons
  • Blog
  • About Aron Bernstein
  • FAQ
  • Membership Account
    • Log In
    • Your Profile
    • Membership Billing
    • Membership Cancel

October 18, 2021 By Aron Bernstein 11 Comments

Weekly Music Theory Challenge 10/18/21

Show off your theory chops with my weekly challenge! You’ll find a new question here every Monday. Please comment to post your reply.

This week’s challenge:

This is the end of Chopin’s powerful Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1 The excerpt begins with him shaping up to have a typical authentic cadence, but it’s shattered when we get to the red rectangle. What is the harmony there, and where does it lead us? Hint: think about how this chord should be spelled, and notice how it’s actually spelled!

Listen to Audio: Chopin Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1

Reply to post your answer, and check back on Friday, October 22 to see if you’re right!

ANSWER for 10/18/21

Chopin has taken the German augmented sixth chord in C minor and reinterpreted it as the dominant of the Neapolitan key (bII). Below at left is a typical authentic cadence preceded by a German 6th; the F sharp in the bass resolves up to G (FI up to SO in solfege) as it should. But at right Chopin has respelled that F sharp in the bass as G flat. Now the chord is no longer a German 6th, but a plain old Ab dominant seventh in third inversion, resolving to D flat Major in first inversion (N6 or bII6).

Listen to Audio

This reinterpretation is possible because a German 6th is enharmonic with a dominant seventh chord. Until you see how they’re spelled–or hear how they resolve differently–they both sound the same! Chopin’s reinterpretation of the German 6th creates a wonderfully jarring deceptive cadence, taking us to the remote world of the Neapolitan before heading back home.

Want to Learn More?

With Breaking Barlines you learn music theory the right way: fun, holistic, and with a personal touch! Have a look at the complete Breaking Barlines Course! Then sign up for a monthly subscription for full access to all video lessons, worksheets, and answer keys. New lessons are always being added, so stay tuned!

Spread the love

Filed Under: music theory challenge Tagged With: breakingbarlines, Chopin, chords, classicalmusic, harmony, music, musiceducation, musiclessons, musictheory, musicvideo, popmusic

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shirley says

    October 18, 2021 at 7:51 pm

    It’s spelled as V2 of Neopolitan (resolved in first inversion) but could be “heard” (alternately spelled) with the g-flat in the bass as an f-sharp, which would make it the German augmented 6th chord of c-minor. I think it is spelled correctly because of function (not the alternate structure using f# instead of the g-flat). Is this what you had in mind? Not sure.

    Reply
    • Aron Bernstein says

      October 22, 2021 at 11:04 am

      You’ve got it! It’s enharmonic with the German 6th, but that spelling of Gb instead of F# changes everything…it’s now a deceptive cadence, going to the Neapolitan instead of right to V.

      Reply
    • Lester Pack says

      October 22, 2021 at 2:51 pm

      It is the V4 of N6 not
      2
      uncommon

      Reply
      • Aron Bernstein says

        October 22, 2021 at 6:07 pm

        Yes, it’s V 4/2 of N6. What makes it interesting, though, is that it’s enharmonic with the German 6th in C minor, so it could be seen as a reinterpretation of that chord, creating an interesting deceptive cadence. Beethoven also does this near the end of the fugue that opens his Op. 131 String quartet in C# minor.

        Reply
  2. Raul Murciano says

    October 18, 2021 at 9:26 pm

    German 6; the Gb “should” be enharmonically written as an F#.

    Reply
    • Aron Bernstein says

      October 22, 2021 at 11:01 am

      Right! The German 6th sounds the same as a dominant 7th chord, until you see how it’s spelled (or hear how it resolves differently). Chopin took advantage of this enharmonic relationship, respelling the F# as Gb, and now he has V 4/2 of the Neapolitan!

      Reply
  3. Madison Pruet says

    October 18, 2021 at 10:29 pm

    It’s a deceptive cadence which doubles as a V7 of flat II (Neapolitan)

    Reply
    • Aron Bernstein says

      October 22, 2021 at 11:05 am

      Way to go! And it’s all because the German 6th sounds just like a dominant 7th chord!

      Reply
  4. jerry ballard says

    October 22, 2021 at 9:28 am

    He’s using a German +6 followed by its IV (Db/F), which is also a properly inverted Neapolitan 6, then resolving back to G7 and cm.

    Reply
    • jerry ballard says

      October 22, 2021 at 9:29 am

      Its tonic, not IV

      Reply
    • Aron Bernstein says

      October 22, 2021 at 11:03 am

      Way to go! It was originally a German 6th, but it’s been enharmonically respelled as the dominant of the Neapolitan. It’s a really neat trick, creating an awesome deceptive cadence!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

Contact Breaking Barlines

  • Tell us about yourself. What is your experience level in music? What would you like to see in an online music theory course? Your input will become future video lessons.

Copyright © 2023 Breaking Barlines · WordPress Website by Waterlink Web