Theory Game 2 Solution
The key is C.
The chord is in 1st inversion. That means the tonic is FA in solfege, or F. This chord then is a 4th chord, or IV. Any student to introductory music theory will tell you a IV chord is either Perfect, Augmented, or Diminished.
However, the tonic is sharped, which turns the FA into FI. Also to complicate things, the LA, or sixth tone, is flatted, turning it into LE. This means we AREN'T dealing with a standard IV chord.
Inverting the chord once makes LE the root. The difference, or chord interval, then between LE and FI gives us the name of the chord. This is an
AUGMENTED SIXTH.
The Three Types of Aug6 are Italian, French, and German. The most basic is Italian. French adds an Aug4 to the root, while German adds a P5 to the root in lieu of an Aug4. Therefore, this is an Italian Aug6.
The Augmented Sixth chord is a harmonic chord that is used to transition into a different key, but typically and most properly resolves into the V chord for a cadence. That means the Aug6 helps to set up either key change or resolution to a section, either the entire piece or a segment of a piece.
Of course, Beethoven liked to be an exception. In his Sonata #24 in F# Major, he OPENS his 2nd movement with an Italian Augmented 6th. You can find it here. Just go to time marker at 7:00, movement marked Allegro Vivace.
THANKS FOR PLAYING
Have a different interpretation? Send your thoughts. Always good to have a spirited debate.