Lesson 19 Suspensions, Retardations, and Anticipations

Lesson 19 Suspensions, Retardations, and Anticipations

Part I- Suspensions

There are three distinct parts to a suspension:

1. Preparation

2. Suspension

3. Resolution

Figure 1 shows the three parts labeled.  Notice the repeated note.  The preparation must be a chord tone in the underlying chord.  The suspended note must be exactly the same as the preparation note. There are many different types of suspensions.  In figured bass, the numbers 4-3, 9-8 (or 2-1), 2-3, and 7-6 denote the note above the bass that is to be suspended.  For example, a 4-3 suspension woud begin on a fourth above the bass and resolve to a third above the bass.

 Fig.1

Fig.2

Listen:

Part II-  Retardations

Retardations are exactly like suspensions except that they resolve up instead of down.  There are again three parts to a retardation.

1. Preparation

2. Retardation

3. Resolution

The only difference between Retardations and suspensions are that retardations resolve up instead of down.

Fig.3

Part III- Anticipations  
When a suspension occurs, the arrival of the chord tone is delayed.  However, with Anticipations as the name implies, the chord tone arrives before the rest of the chord.  Figure 4 shows the anticipation figure.  Figure 5 shows it in a progression.

 Fig.4

Fig.5

Listen:

Part IV review of all non-Harmonic tones

Name                                                                           Pattern
Passing tone                         Approached by step, resolved by step in same direction
Neighbor tone                      Approached by step, resolved by step in opposite direction
Changing tone                      Approached by step, followed by leap in opposite direction,
                                                                             Resolved by step back to original pitch
Appoggiatura                        Approached by leap, resolved by step in opposite direction
Escape tone                         Approached by step, resolved by leap in opposite direction
Pedal tone                           Approached by repetition resolved by repetition
Suspension                          Approached by repetition, resolved by step downward
Retardation                          Approached by repetition, resolved by step upward
Anticipation                         Approached by step (up or down) resolved by repetition