Counterpoint Lession 7: Free counterpoint

Free counterpoint

Part I - Free Counterpoint
Free counterpoint combines all the other species into one.  In this type of counterpoint, one is able to have note-against-note, two against one, three against one, and four against one.  Although not as common, it is possible to have two against three, and three against four.

Fig.1 Free counterpoint

Notice that there exists 3:1 and 2:3, as well as 2:1 in this example. 

Part II - Simple two-reprise Form

Also known as binary form, This most commonly exists as simple dance movements, Such as gigues¹ or sarabandes².  Two-reprise pieces most commonly exist in sixteen, or twenty-four measures, The layout of the piece often looks like this:

||:8 measures:||:8 measures:||    and       ||:8 measures:||:16 measures:||
       Tonic                     Dominant                                             Tonic                      Dominant
Even though the piece modulates for the second part, the overall feel of the piece does not shift (i.e. major/minor, tempo, etc.)  Although the general feel of a piece does not change, it is  normal to see a piece change tonality between the two sections.To facilitate this shift, the last measure of each section often tonicizes to the new tonic of the next section.  Like this:

Major:                                                       minor:
||:I             V(iii):||        ||:i              v(V, or III):||

An example of the simple two-reprise form can be found in Bach's Minuet in d minor, BVW Anh.132

 

Notice that in the second part, the tonality shifts in the second part of the piece.

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<sup>1. Gigue:  A lively dance piece of the Baroque and Renaissance, usually in compound meter. 
2. Sarabande:  A dance movement in triple meter (most commonly3/4, 6/8, and even 9/8)</sup> 

Counterpoint Lession 3: General characteristics of counterpoint

General characteristics of counterpoint

Part I - foundations of Baroque polyphony
The Baroque period especially had strict rules for consonance and dissonance. composers in the Baroque era learned the techniques of the preceding Renaissance.  Early Baroque music was simple, only two voices.  Usually in the form of instrumental music.  Most often, this early Baroque music was not-against-note.  There was sometimes simple elaborations in the melody lines. If a passage was repeated, it was understood that the second time should be highly embellished.

Counterpoint Lesson 2: Melody

Lesson 2:  Melody

 

Part I - Tempo, Meter, and Phrasing
During the Baroque era, all of these aspects would remain unchanged throughout the course of the piece.  i.e. if a piece began in a minor key, it remained so for the entirety of the piece.  Tempos rarely changed in the middle of a piece either.

Part II - Vocal instrumental cross influence
Often in Baroque music, vocal music imitated instrumental music.  And vice versa. 

Part III - Features of Baroque Melody
The biggest distinguishing feature of Baroque melody is the idea of devolping melodies and counter-melodies.  Many times in music before the Baroque era, melodies were not developed or expanded on.  At least not often.  Another big feature of Baroque music is the idea of sequences.

 Fig.1 sequence

Notice that in the upper voice, there is an ascending figure of four eighth notes.  This is known as a sequence, and is extremely common in Baroque music. 

Counterpoint Lession 6: further diminutuion

 further diminution

Part I - Further contrapuntal diminution

The slower moving cantus, is often elaborated to bring out the accompanying counterpoint.  It is often 3:1, or 4:1 (three notes against one, and four notes against one). Instances of 'free' rhythmic counterpoint is also often.  Shown here is an example of third species counterpoint.

Fig.1 third species counterpoint.

Notice that there are four notes against one in third species.  In fourth species, also known as free counterpoint, there are instances of upwards of ten notes against one.  

Here, in fourth species counterpoint, there are combinations of all of the other species.  This is by far the most common type of counterpoint.

Notice that the first note of each group of four sixteenth notes ascends by step, just as the quarter notes do in the cantus.

Part II - the two-voice Chorale Prelude

Using a German chorale tune as the cantus firmus formed much of the vocal repertoire in the Baroque period.  Here in this chorale prelude, the tune "Wachet auf ruft un die stimme" is used as the cantus firmus.  

 

Counterpoint Lession 5:simple diminution

simple diminution

Part I - Diminution with consonant intervals

Elaboration in the counterpointing voice can be consonant skips or step wise motion.  

 Fig.1 simple diminution

Notice that in the example, there are places where one voice moves and the other does not.  This is still first species counterpoint.  

Part II - diminution with dissonant intervals

The treatment of dissonance in the Baroque era always involves step wise motion.  The dissonance always falls on or before the weak beat.  

Fig.2 diminution with dissonant intervals.

Diminution with dissonant intervals falls into three categories:  non-harmonic tones, suspensions, and chordal dissonance.  Chordal dissonance is just a dissonant chord, such as a seventh chord.  

Part III - suspensions

A suspension is an accented dissonance, or a dissonance that falls on an accented beat.  

Part IV - Chordal dissonance

The use of seventh chords are the most common type of chordal dissonance during the Baroque era.  

Counterpoint Lession 4: Two voice note-against-note counterpoint

 Two voice note-against-note counterpoint

By far the simplest form of counterpoint.  This is because there is only two voices  that move in tandem.  

Fig.1 first species counterpoint

You can see that there are only two voices and they sing/play at the same time as the other.  Most of the time, if not all of the time, in Baroque music, the composer will only use diatonic intervals.  Chromatic intervals were treated as to dissonant and dealt with in very specific ways.  The most harmonically-unstable interval (by Baroque definitions) is the tritone.  The tritone is the interval of an augmented fourth, or diminished fifth.  Baroque composers thought of this interval as evil because it is made up of six half-steps.

  Fig.2 Tritones

Just remember that in first species counterpoint that there are only two voices that move in tandem.  This creates a series of intervals and the intervals usually do follow the circle of fifths progression (I iii VI ii V I).  

Counterpoint Lesson 1: Introduction

Introduction to Counterpoint

Counterpoint- The art or technique of setting, writing, or playing a melody or melodies in conjunction with another, according to fixed rules.

Part I - Doctrine of Affections
The doctrine of the affections, also known as the doctrine of affects, doctrine of the passions, theory of the affects, or by the German term Affektenlehre (after the German Affekt; plural Affekte) was a theory in musical aesthetics popular in the Baroque era (1600–1750). It derived from ancient theories of rhetoric and oratory (Buelow 2001), and was widely accepted by late-Baroque theorists and composers. The essential idea is that just one unified and "rationalized" Affekt should be aimed at by any single piece or movement of music, and that to attempt more was to risk confusion and disorder.
According to one version of the theory there are three pairs of opposing emotions that make six "affects" all together: love/hate, joy/sorrow, wonder/desire. Another authority also mentions sadness, anger, and jealousy (Buelow 2001).
Lorenzo Giacomini (1552–1598) in his Orationi e discorsi (1597) defined an affection as "a spiritual movement or operation of the mind in which it is attracted or repelled by an object it has come to know as a result of an imbalance in the animal spirits and vapours that flow continually throughout the body" (Giacomini 1597,).
The doctrine fell out of use in the Classical era, when composers and theorists began to find it excessively mechanical and unnatural.
"Affections are not the same as emotions; however, they are a spiritual movement of the mind" (Palisca 1991, 3).
A prominent Baroque proponent of the Doctrine of the Affections was Johann Mattheson (Poultney 1996, 107).

Part II - Texture
The texture is countrapuntal.  Meaning that There is a melody and one or more counter-melodies.

Fig.1 melody and counter-melody

As seen here, the treble clef has the melody and the Bass clef has the counter-melody.  The idea of two or more voices that move at different intervals of time is counterpoint.  

Formal innovations in Twentieth-Century Music

Formal innovations in Twentieth-Century Music

Part I - New pitch Materials and Form
Claude Debussy is considered one of the founders of modern music.  His treatment of tonality and harmony.  He used many tertian¹ harmonies, but avoided cadences and progressions.  Debussy's approach to melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture resulted in new approaches to form.  Principals of repitition, contrast, variation, and restatement remained, but there was an absence of tonal syntax.

Part II - New pitch materials, Transposition, and Traditional form
Hungarian composer Bela Bartok drew from a wide range of styles, most notably folk songs. Dissonance² and chromaticism are among the most widely used techniques used in his music.  He often used the octatonic scale. here is an example of an octatonic scale:

Fig.1 octatonic scale on Eb.

With this new scale, it is difficult to build triads, so often quartal harmonies are used.  That is harmonies built on the interval of a fourth instead of a third.  This creates a distinct dissonant harmony in the piece.  Bartok's "Mikrocosomos" is a prime example of where he uses the octatonic scale as the basis of a piece.  

Part III - Atonality

Atonality is defined as the absence of a key.  Often, a tone row is used as a basis of the entire piece.  This is an example of a tone row:

 Fig.2 tone row

  Each of the chromatic notes are in every row.  No importance is given to duration of note, octave, or velocity. We will discuss how to generate a tone row and what each row means in more detail in the Theory lesson.

Part IV - Clusters and Textures
Most often in atonal music, instead of chords clusters are used.  a cluster is just that. a cluster of notes.  Clusters are notated like this:

Fig.3 note cluster

This notation means to play every single note between the outer two notes simultaneously.  This is a very common practice in the twentieth century. 

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1.  tertian (from Latin, meaning "of or concerning thirds") describes any piece. chord, counterpoint, etc. constructed from the interval of a (major or minor) third
2. Dissonance- Lack of harmony among musical notes.

Vocal forms

Vocal forms

Part I - Hymns and Traditional songs
The simplest vocal forms are hymns, folk songs, and traditional songs.  They are usually eight to sixteen bars long and use the same music for all verses of text.  This is known as strophic, having mulitple lines of text set to the same music. 

Part II - Popular song
 This is a rather wide categorization that includes jazz, show tunes, rock, country, etc.  They are usually ternary or binary form with eight-bar phrases.  with verse, chorus, verse structure. 
They often take this form:

Intro                  (verse)                      ||:(refrain) Chorus:||
                                  Repeated phrases                                        32-bar song form
V---------------------------------------I---------------HC                           AABA                         coda


Part III - Art song
Art song refers to solo vocal pieces in which existing poetry is set to music.  The art song flourished in the nineteenth century with German lieder and French melodie.  The analysis of art song must include the lyrics to fully understand the formal structure.


Part IV - Da Capo Aria, Ritornello, and Rondo forms
An aria (Italian for 'tune') is a song for solo voice with instrumental accompaniment.  Most arias are found in operas, oratorios, and cantatas. 

Part V - Choral music
Hymns and chorales
The most straightforward works written in parts for multiple voices.  The textures are usually homophonic and often homorhythmic. other textural possibilities include:

1. homophonic
2. unison texture-  where all of the voices sing the melody in unison
3. Call and response- where one voice states a musical idea and the other voices respond
4. melody and descant- in which a descant or countermelody is sung against the other voices.
5. countrapuntal textures- where two or more voices are presented in counterpoint.  
6. antiphonal techniques- in which two choruses alternate

Contrapuntal Genres

Contrapuntal Genres

Part I - Imitation
Imitation is one of the most characteristic techniques of contrapuntal genres.  In music, imitation refers to repeating material in another voice or part at different times.  it is widely used when elaborating musical ideas.
 
Part II - Canon
The canon is one of the oldest forms of imitation techniques in music.  There are two distinct types of canon, Leader and follower, and Round.
  
Leader and Follower
This is where one voice will state the theme and the subsequent voices will state the theme as well while the voices that have already entered will provide accompaniment. 

Round
A round is the simplest type of canon.  A round is a melody sung by voices beginning at different times.  A common example is "Row row row your boat."

Mirror canon
This is where the theme is sung in melodic inversion by each of the followers. 

Retrograde canon
This is where the theme is sung forward and backward simultaneously.  There is no leader and followers.

Mensuration canon
Where one of the followers performs the canon melody in augmentation or diminution. 

Part III - Inventions
A genre unique to Bach's oeuvre is the invention for keyboard.  These collections are teaching manuals in which melodies are "invented" and elaborated by various contrapuntal techniques.  Here the melody is called the "subject"  and all other voices are called the "counter subject." 

Part IV -  Fugue
This will be an introduction to fugues.  We will discuss fugues more in depth in the lessons dealing specifically with counterpoint.  Originally the term fugue was used to describe thirteenth century pieces where voices sung in canonic imitation accompanied by a third voice. 

Subjects and answers
A fugue typically begins with an unaccompanied statement of the theme called the "subject."  Fugue subjects very widely in length from one measure to up to ten measures.  The subsequent entries of the subject will be accompanied by the "counter subject" in the voice that just finished the subject.  Once the subject and counter subject have finished playing, a third voice can enter and play the subject.  a general outline of a fugue looks like this:

Fig.1 Fugue outline

Following all of the entries of the subject and counter subject, there will be "episodes"  of varriation based on the subject in a variety of keys.  After all of the episodes, there will be a closing section where the subject is restated in its entirety in the tonic before a short coda.   

Ostinato and Varriation forms

Ostinato and Variation forms

Part I - Ostinato Vzriations
Ostinato variations are continuous variation over a repeated bass line.  This bass line is referred to as basso Ostinato (Ground bass).   The most famous example of this is Pachelbel's Canon in D,  Which is NOT canon form.

Fig.1 Canon in D ostinato bass 

The Ostinato bass repeats as the harmonic melody changes over the top of it.  A composer can be as unadventurous as to just have variations of   a melody on top of the bass line.  or go as far as to change the mode¹ of themelody over the bass line. 

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1. Mode- Any of various fixed orders of the various diatonic notes within an octave.  i.e. Major, minor, etc.


Part II - Ostinato as a constructive device
 The ostinato ovariations prevalent in Baroque  music were replaced by theme and variations  in the late 18th century.  nineteenth century composers often used ostinato figures for effect, or as a compositional device. 

Part III - Theme and Variations
Theme and variation form takes a familiar melody and uses it as a base for the entire piece.  The subsequent variations will play with the melody or the bass line or both to create  totally unique melodies. 

Fixed Form Variations. 
this is a technique that uses the melodic ideas and textures using the form and tonal structure of the theme.

Free Variations
Variations of the nineteenth century often abandoned the theme's formal structure.  Themes were often subject to fragmentation, neaning that the varirations would often not use the entire theme. but rather only part of it to use as a base for the entire variation.  Many composers found free variations attractive because they offered more chance to vary the original theme more widely. 

Part IV -  Organization of Variations
A typical outline of theme and variation looks something like this:

THEME        VAR A           VAR B                VAR C               VAR D             VAR A          VAR E
                                        March              Waltz             Can-can                               Fugue

Notice that theme A keeps recurring throughout the piece.

Rondo form

Rondo form

Part I - Outline of Rondo Form
The general outline of sonata form looks like this: A B A C A B A.  That is, there are three themes that follow this pattern.  Other iterations could look like this: A B A B' A.  The A theme is referred to as the refrain as it happens with the most frequency.  The rondo form is used most often in keyboard suites of the Baroque and Classical periods.  It is also used as the slow finale of piano sonatas, symphonies, and Classical concertos. 

Five part rondo CRK = Closely related key
Refrain 1                    Episode 1                         Refrain 2                Episode 2                    Refrain 3
A                  B                    A              C                  A
Tonic                           CRK                                   Tonic                       CRK                               Tonic 

Seven Part Rondo

 Refrain 1     Episode 1                Refrain 2         Episode 2              Refrain 3            Episode 4              Refrain 4
A           B              A             C          A             B'             A   
Tonic              CRK                       Tonic                      CRK             Tonic                     CRK                      Tonic


Part II - Baroque Rondeau
THe historical precursor to the Classical rondo was the French Rondeau of the Baroque period.  The baroque Rondeau shows these characteristics:

1. The refrain is tonally closed ending in a Perfect authentic cadence in the tonic
2. The refrain is a short self-contained theme.  Usually a ritornello-type phrase of eight measures.
3. Each time the refrain returns in the tonic key and is unaltered.
4. The episodes contain thematic material very closely related to the Refrain.

Part III - Five and Seven-part Rondo
Rondos of the Classical period use the same principles of the Baroque Rondeau but with greater contrasts of themes and textures in episodes.  The refrain is often longer, and could be a short binary or ternary form in its self.  Seven-part rondos are most often used in finales of large works.

Part IV - Sonata Rondo form
The only diference between Rondo form and sonata rondo form is that instead of C,  there is a short development of the themes found in the Refrain and first episode.  So, it would look like this:
Tonic     Dominant    Tonic                            Various                                 Tonic            Tonic      Tonic     
A      B        A      DEVELOPMENT               A         B       A  

Modification of sonata Form and Cyclic Forms

Modification of sonata Form and Cyclic Forms

Part I - Slow introduction
A slow introduction often precedes the exposition of a sonata form.whether  in an overture, on in a movement all of its own.  Slow introductions are heard as separate sections to the entire sonata and rarely do composers use material from the introduction of the sonata. There are exceptions, of course.  They do often introduce ideas or sometimes motives that will be incorporated into the exposition.

Part II - Sonata Form without Development.
Some sonata form movements are constructed in the manner of traditional sonata form but only have a short link between the exposition and the recapitulation.  This is often the case  in opera overtures such as Mozart's The marriage of Figaro. 

Part III - Sonata form in Concerto movements
Most often occurring in  Baroque compositions, ritornello means "return" in Italian.  It is a piece where a soloist will play an exposition, followed by an orchestra playing an expanded form of the same thing that the soloist played.  a basic map of the form would look like this:

Solo¹    Tutti¹       Solo²         Tutti²          Solo³             Tutti<sup>3
 I               I-------V      V-----V              V------------------------------------------------I
NOTE:
Tutti-Litterally translates to "all" from Italian. It is a part of the piece after a soloist plays where the entire ensemble joins.


 Part IV - Cyclic Form
Cyclic form is a multi-movement work that uses the same thematic material in more than one movement is known as a cyclic form work.  This motive that is used in all or most of the movements is known as the Idee Fixe, or Fixed idea. The most famous work with an idee Fixe is Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz.  
Here is the Idee Fixe that Berlioz uses in Symphonie Fantastique:</sup>

^{This theme shows up in some form in every movement of the work.}

Sonata Forms

Sonata Form

General outline of Sonata form

Exposition                        Development           Recapitulation
||: I -------V-------V:||V--------------------------I
Theme I                 Theme II         codetta

Part I - Exposition
 The exposition contains three distinct parts.  Theme one, a transition from theme one to theme two, and theme two.  Sometime, but not often there is a small codetta, but not often.

Theme one is always in the tonic key, the transition modulates to the dominant (V), or relative Major (III),  and the second theme is in the dominant or relative Major.  
The function of the beginning section of a sonata is to introduce thematic ideas as established in the tonic key.  The principal themes can be as short as one measure or as long as twenty.  Whatever the length, the principal theme eands with a cadence.

Transition:

1. Transitions usually reach a half  cadence that normally concludes a prolongation of the dominant key
2. Dominant harmony may be elided into a perfect authentic cadence at the beginning of the secondary theme
3. The accelerated rhythmic activity and changes in texture often signify the beginning of the transition.

The secondart tonal area is often the Dominant of a major key or realtive major of a minor key.
Although it is rare, it is possible to have a non-modulating transition.  That is, the first and second themes are both in the tonic.

Part II - Development
Sonata form is very much based on the elaboration of ideas.  The development is the composer's chance to develop   all of the themes presented in the Introduction.  Often modulating frequently.   Modulation to new keys and tonal instability are basic aspects of the development.

Retransition:
The retransition is found at the end of the development and serves as a gateway back to the tonic where the recapitulation can begin.

Part III - Recapitulation
The recapitulation is the third major section of a sonata.  In the recapitulation, theme one is restated in the tonic, there is a non-modulatory transition between theme one and theme two.  Theme two is presented in the tonic.  Note that theme two is not in the dominant (V), or Mediant (III).  Finally, there is a Coda to finish the piece.

Notice how there is a short into before the first theme begins in measure 5.

Ternary forms

Ternary forms

Part I - Simple Ternary Forms
Ternary forms contain two themes A and B and generally follow this outline:

Section:

A-------------------------------------B------------------------------------------A------------------------------Coda

 Key Area:

I--------------------------------------V------------------------------------------I----------------------------------I

Simple ternary forms are usually found in songs and in sections of larger forms.  Quite often a change in mode marks the beginning of the middle section

 

In this example, the two sections are very clearly heard.  Do note that between the B and second A, there is a transition of 8 bars to modulate back to G minor.

Part II - 32-bar Song form

The three-part division of the form is based on the grouping of the first phrase (A) and its repetition as one section.  This is often referred to as the "head."  The contrasting B section is known as the bridge.  The single eight measure restatement of A without repeat completes the four symmetrical phrases known as a quatrain.

NOTE:

Quatrain - a sixteen measure form of four-measure phrases.

In the tonic key, there will often be a sequential modulating figure that signifies the start of the B section.  

 

This is an example of 32-bar song form.  The antecedent and consequent are very clear and easy to hear.

Part III - Compound Ternary forms

These forms occur in two main styles:  Da cappo form, and large ternary form.

NOTE:

Da Cappo - Literally translates to "to head"  Means to return to the beginning of the piece and end where the sign tells you 

  

In Da cappo form, after the B section is played, the A section is often the only section to be repeated.  

This is an example of Compound ternary.  

Part IV - Large Ternary Form

Found mostly in slow movements of late eighteenth and early nineteenth century works, Large ternary is similar to the compound ternary and the minuet and trio.  In that the first section is a self-contained form ending with a Perfect authentic cadence in the tonic.  Large ternary differs from compound ternary in the following ways:

1. The first section of a slow movement is not always rounded binary with repeats
2. The middle section may be a simple binary or ternary form.  But may not be modulatory.
3. The middle section will often shift modes.
4. The large work will often have links or transitions between movements.
5. The restatement of the A section, unlike the Da capo, is written out and usually  embellished or expanded.

This is the second movement of Haydn's symphony #104

Formal functions and Musical texture

Formal functions and Musical texture

Part I - Formal functions
Six basic functions of phrase structure can  be identified They are:

1. expository
2. transitional
3. delopmental
4. introductory
5. closing
6. parenthetical

Expository function- Expository phrases are those with distinct thematic material.

Transitional phrases- Transitional phrases function as links between expository phrases.  as an example, the transition part of a sonata, which we will talk about tomorrow would be a transitional phrase.

Developmental function- Closely related to the transitional function, this type of phrase does not introduce new material, it just develops material introduced in the expository phrase.

Introductory function- Occurs in passages that initiate a phrase, section, or movement. 

Closing function- Occurs in phrases that bring a section or movement to a final cadence.  often include pedal tones, reiteration of thematic material, and/or rhythmic acceleration or deceleration.

Parenthetical function- contain an unexpected change in tonality, theme, or texture.  It can also contain sudden changes in dynamics.  All of this gives a sense of a parenthetical aside or interjection.

Part II - Musical texture and form
Musical texture refers to the arrangement and quality of sounds in music. 
Types of musical texture:
Monophony- a single line of music.  all voices are moving in unison at the same time.  Gregorian chant is an example of monophony.
Polyphony- Many different lines that are rhythmically pendant of each other and hold equal importance.
Homophony- where the melody is presented in one voice and the other instruments are chordal accompaniment.
Heterophony- contains different elaborations of the same basic melody. 

Phrase Rhythm and phrase structure

Phrase Rhythm and phrase structure

Part I - Phrase Separation and Connection
 an aspect of the continuity of phrases is how and when phrases are separated or connected.  In some cases phrases are rhythmically separated , in others, a separation is implied.  New phrases may also begin when the previous one ends.  at the point of cadential arrival, with an upbeat or anacrusis. 

Note:
Anacrusis- One or more unstressed notes before the first bar line of a piece or passage.

Frequently, phrases are connected together to give a stronger sense of continuity.  The reason and affect of such choices vary according to the style of the music and the context of the phrases.  Phrases are usually connected in one of four basic ways.

1. Elision - The omission of a sound or syllable 
2. Melodic or bass line links
3. continuation of accompaniment
4. overlapping of lines

 An important point to consider is weather the phrase link is heard as a part of the preceding phrase or as an upbeat and a lead-in to the next phrase. 
Phrase overlaps are less frequent than elisions and phrase links, and occur most often in contrapuntal textures.

Part II - Phrase Expansions
 The idea that phrases can be expanded is based on that some parts of the phrase are additions to more basic essential elements. 
Phrase introductions occur in three common forms:

1. Accompaniment figures that initiate a phrase into the entrance of  the phrase melody
2. Motivic anticipations
3. Elongated upbeats

Thematic design and phrase structure

Thematic design and phrase structure

Part I - Thematic design
The 'theme' in music usually refers to the principal melodic lines.   The tonal motion towards cadences is supported by the presentation and completion of thematic ideas.  A phrase is usually notated with a slur:

Fig.1 Slur

Part II - Motives and themes

A musical motive is a short melodic idea categorized by rhythm, contour and interval succession.  a theme is a sequence of motives that make a cohesive whole.  Motivic analysis usually entails the identification of motives and their recurrences.

Part III - Models of Phrase and structure

  A common model of phrase structure is a sentence.  A sentence is a phrase comprised of a statement, followed by a repetition, then a continuation that leads to a cadence.  The three parts of a sentence are normally in the proportions 1:1:2 (in measures) or multiples thereof.  The proportions are the defining characteristic of a sentence.

Another type of phrase is the period.  The first phrase in a period leads to a weak cadence (IAC or HC).  This first part of the period is known as the antecedent.  The second part of the period, known as the consequent, leads to a strong cadence (usually a, AC of some sort.    

Tonal design

Tonal design

Part I - Phrase, Cadence and Key
 Obviously, all three of these aspects of music play an important role when analyzing a piece.  The Phrases are important to know for when the themes begin and end.  most of the time a theme begins as one ends on a phrase.  Themes can last for more than one phrase.  The essentials of tonal design is being able to identify the pattern of cadences and modulations that take place.  Being able to identify key is essential for knowing when modulations occur.  Knowing when modulation occur is helpful for when identifying themes within certain forms. 

Part II - Cadences and segmentation
A cadence refers to the completion of a melodic and harmonic progression.  We've already discussed cadences and the different types of cadences throughout the Music theory lessons.  So I do not need to go into much detail here.  just know that a cadence marks the end of a musical idea.  In this case, it will be a melodic idea.  

references.

soon I will be posting my reference list.  So that you can go out and buy the books yourself.

The nature of musical form

The nature of musical form

Part I - Categories of musical form
 Formal design
The term 'form' refers to the large scale design of a piece of music.  Most pieces can divided into two or three sections.  These sections are often labeled with letters, such as A and B.  A piece with two sections would be known as AB. Or, if the second section is a shortened iteration of the first, it would be AA' (A prime)

Part II - Formal structure
The classification of large-scale works into forms is concerned with the number and grouping of musical ideas.  For example, a piece that has two musical ideas (AB, or ABA), would be a different genre that a piece with three or more musical ideas (ABC, or even ABACABA).

Part III - Formal Processes
Formal Processes - the harmonic progressions including modulations and when and how modulations take place are essential when analyzing a piece

Thematic processes - How themes (melodic ideas) generate phrases and sections of a design. 

Textural process - The texture of a piece (monophonic, Polyphonic, or Homophonic) plays a big role when analyzing a piece.  Usually when the texture changes, the theme changes.

Part IV - Formal Function
This refers to the role of segments of music at various levels of the structure.

Part V - The perception of musical form
Music can not be enjoyed or understood without recourse to  basic knowledge of musical form.  The same can be said for performance.

One part and binary forms

Part I - One-part forms
One-part forms comprise of one single phrase group or period that make the complete piece.  One-part forms are usually instrumental pieces and are very brief.  Characteristics of one-part form include:

1. Continuous harmonic and rhythmic movement until the final cadence
2.  Lack of a perfect authentic cadence until the end.
3. frequent use of elided cadences
4. absence of restatements of the theme in the tonic in following contrasting phrases

One-part form pieces include: etudes, preludes, where the original theme is continuously elaborated.  The Bach Prelude in F Major will serve as an example

 

You can hear that the one theme, although it modulates stays essentially unchanged throughout the entire piece.  

Part II - Binary form
Binary form looks like this:
                                        A                                               B

Fig.1 Binary form structure.

 

 There are three phrases of one theme which is repeated and three phrases of another theme which is also repeated.

In this movement, you can see all of these characteristics of binary form:

1. Repeat signs clearly divide the piece into two sections
2. The first section modulates to the dominant
3. The two sections use similar material.
4. The second section continues to elaborate material that was presented in the first section.
5. No restatement of the opening phrase of section one is heard in section two in the tonic key.

Computer problems

Dearest readers, I fear my computer is dying.  Thus, on a public computer, I do not have access to all of my slides for the remainder of the music theory lessons.  So,  we will embark on a new topic for the time being. 

Until my computerr is fixed and I have access to all of my slides, we will talk about Musical form, and how to analyze various forms.

Lesson 36 review

Beethoven  piano sonata op. 49 no.1

this piece is full of secondary dominants

Schubert Impromptu op. 142 No.3 B flat major

In measures 1-8, there are secondary dominants of the dominant

Mendelssohn Songs Without Words Op.19 No.1

Here, there are many secondary dominants of the dominant

Felix Mendelssohn - Songs without Words - Op.53, No.1

In this piece, there are many secondary dominants of the subdominant

Franz Schubert - Andante in A Major (D. 604)

This piece is full of secondary dominants of the submediant

Schumann Piano Concerto in a minor, Op.54, 2nd & 3rd movements 

This piece modulates using secondary dominants

SCHUMANN, Intermezzo op 4 No 4 

This piece is full of borrowed chords 

Chopin Nocturne in C# minor, op. posth.

Near the end of the piece, there is a borrowed ii°

At the bebining of the piece, there is a German sixth as well.

Chopin prelude, Op.28 No. 20

this piece contains the Neapolitan triad 

Beethoven, Piano Sonata Op. 31, No. 1, 2nd movement

This piece modulates using secondary dominants.

Beethoven Piano sonata Op. 81a 1st movement

This piece contains the Augmented 6th chord

Lesson 35 Augmented sixth chords in context

Lesson 35 Augmented sixth chords in context

Part I - Augmented chord types

There are three different types of augmented sixth chords.  The first is the Italian sixth(It⁶).  It is always a three-note chord.  The chord tones are le, do, and fi.  This is what the It⁶ looks like in three different keys.

 Fig.1  Italian sixth  chords

Listen:

 The second second type of augmented sixth is the German sixth (Gr⁶).  The german sixth is a four-note chord.  The additional solfege syllable is me.  making the full chord:  le, do,me, and fi.  some examples of the german sixth look like this:

Fig.2 German sixth chords

Listen:

The final type of augmented sixth chord is the French sixth (Fr⁶)  This one instead of me has re.  The French sixth looks like this in the same three keys:

Fig.3 French sixth chords

Listen:

Part II - Voice leading in Augmented Sixth chords
Notice how between the vii°⁶/V  and the It⁶ there are three common tones.  This makes it great for part writing because three voices do not need to move.

 Fig.4 Italian sixth chord in context

Listen:

Notice here between the VI and the Gr6, only the Alto needs to move.

Fig.5  German sixth chord in context
(here the alto note should be A, not F# in the VI chord)

Listen:

Again, notice how only one voice needs to move from the vi to the Gr⁶

Fig.6 German sixth in context

Listen:

Here. the Gr6 moves to the V7.  all of the voices need to move, but it still works nicely because all of the voices only move by one step )or half-step).

Fig.7 Voice leading with German Sixth

Listen:

In this example, the French sixth resolves to the I six-four.  Again all of the voices resolve the way that they should.  That is, the Alto resolves up, and the Bass resolves down.

Fig.8 French sixth in context

Listen:

Part III - The Enharmonic German Sixth
Here, the German sixth is spelled with a, E flat in the tenor.

Fig.9 resolution of Gr6 to six-four chord

Listen:

Here, it is spelled with a D sharp in the tenor, the enharmonic equivalent of E flat.  

Fig.10  Enharmonic German sixth chord.

Listen:

Notice how the two do not sound any different at all.  That is because they are the exact same chord spelled differently.