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94% found this document useful (16 votes)
19K views74 pagesABRSM Grade 6 Theory
ABRSM Grade 6 Theory in Practice
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TREXADRONCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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/ 74
bie Aston & Julian Webb
_ Music Theory.
_in Practice
Lee koaa
Troe
iy Music Theory in Practice
Grade 6
PETER ASTON & JULIAN WEBB
BO
‘The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music PO MUSIC.
Sonia Khan
AABRSM Representative
©: 0091-9711132075
© : soniihanaabrsmincia.org
{wo facebook comiabrsmnerthnaa
‘wwe facebook.com/ABRSMkarnataka Syllabus for Grade 6
‘As in preceding grades. The harmonic vocabulary expected will include: the use of §, § and
$ chords on any degree of the major or minor (harmonic and melodic) scale; the recognition
of the dominant 7th chord in root position, first, second and third inversions, and the
supertonic 7th chord in root position and first inversion, in any major or minor key; and
the figuring for all these chords. An understanding of the principles of modulation and a
knowledge of cadences, ornamentation and melodic decoration (which might include passing
notes, auxiliary notes, appoggiaturas, changing notes and notes of anticipation) will also be
expected. Questions will cover:
(1) Writing specified chords for voices in four parts or for keyboard (at the candidate’s
choice) above a given bass part of about four bars.
(2) The indication of suitable chords for the accompaniment of a diatonic melody of about
eight bars in any key, using any recognised method of notation, or (at the candidate’s
choice) the provision of a bass to a given melody, adding figures to indicate the intended
harmonies.
(3) Composition of a melody for a specified instrument (a choice will be given), using a
given opening. Modulation to the dominant, subdominant, relative major or relative minor
may be required.
(4) Questions on short extracts of music written for piano or in open score for voices or for
any combination of instruments and/or voices, designed to test the candidate’s knowledge
of the elements and notation of music, including the realisation of ornaments, the
identification and notation of underlying harmonic structure, phrase structure, style,
performance, and on the voices and instruments for which the works were written.
First published in 1992 by
‘The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Publishirg) Led
‘Reprinted in 1993, 1994 (with revisions), 2000, 2001, 2002, 2¢03, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
© 1992 by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
All sights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced,
sored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
‘without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
‘Typesetting and music processing by Halstan & Co. Lid, Amersham, Bucks
Printed in Great Britain by Caligraving Lid, Thedford, Norfolk. Contents
Section A Realising figured basses page 4
Keyboard writing 6
Writing for voices 8
Exercise 1 10
Section B — Harmonising melodies 1B
‘The primary triads 15
Deciding when to change chords 16
Secondary triads 18
‘Harmony in minor keys 21
Chord symbols 23
Exercise 2 25
‘Melody and figured bass 29
Exercise 3 30
Section — Melodic composition 35
‘Tonal melodic composition 35
Exercises 4-6 48
‘Melodic composition in more modern styles 52
Exercise 7 59
SectionD General Exercises 6
Exercises 8-15 62,
‘Thanks are due to the following for permission to eprint extracts
from copyright works: Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Lid;
Faber Music Ltd; Novello & Go. Ltd; Oxford University Pre
G. Ricordi C spa,
In the quoted music examples, tempo marks end dynamics without brackets
‘occur in the original as shown, while those enclosed in square brackets
are editorial. ‘Tempo marks occurring earlier in the music are enclosed in
round brackets
‘Students should use their own manuscript paper for Exercises 47. All
other exercises should be worked in the book. A Realising figured basses
(See The AB Guide to Music Theory, Part 1, 8/4)
‘Figured bass is a method of shorthand for indicating chords. It was used widely during
the 17th.and 18th centuries; and although you will rarely see figuring in music from later
periods (an exception is jazz notation in which letter names are sometimes combined with
figuring), it continues to be a useful way of describing harmonies’,
In Grade 6, knowledge of the figuring for all chords in the syllabus is required, and it
will be tested by a question in which you are asked to real'se (i. write chords above)
a figured-bass part. You will be given the choice of laying out the chords for four-part
voices (SATB) or for keyboard. Because the bass is figured, you do not have to work out
a suitable harmonic progression: the chords to be used are all shown, The exercises at
the end of this section, and similar ones in the examination papers, test your ability:
(a) to recognise which chords are indicated by the figuring, and
(b) to lay out these chords effectively for your chosen medium ~ voices or keyboard.
‘The chords which may be used in Grade 6 are $, $5 $54, $5 { and §. Because it is
‘cumbersome to write out these chords in full, they are usually abbreviated as follows:
nofiguing=$ 7=3 e=$ f=$ f=$ taf
‘Note that one chord, the £, is always figured in full. This is to distinguish it from » (= §),
and a common mistake made by beginners is to confuse these two chords. Notice the
difference between Ex.la (a progression rarely used in Baroque music) and Ex. 1b.
EXAMPLE la
ee a
It is important to remember that figures refer to diatonic intervals above the given bass
note in accordance with the given key signature, Thus, with a key signature of two flats,
a 6 above the note G would be Eb. If the composer wanted Bf, he would have to show this
in the figuring by placing a natural sign next to the figure 6.? Similarly, with the same key
signature of two flats, a « above the note C is F}. If the composer wanted F#, as he might
in the key of G minor, he would place a sharp sign next to the +.5 Note that an accidental
appearing on its own always refers to the third above the bass note, so #= 2 (implying %),
‘Unlike the Roman aumeral system, however, figured bass does not show the harmonic function of chords
and therefore cannot be used for harmonic analysis, unless the figuring is accompanied by an explanation of
hhow each chord is related to the key of the passage in which it occurs.
7A chromatic alteration may be placed before or after the figure to which it applies.
Another method of showing that & note is to be raised by a semitone is to cross the numeral with a stroke.
‘Thus, with a key signature of two fats, 6} above G (= Bt) could be written as 6, and 4# above C (= F#) could
be written ass. You will often see the crossed-numeral symbol ir. printed scores, but in the examination
tests any chromatic raising of a note will always be shown by an accidental placed next to the numeral. Note
that there is no symbol for showing the chromatic lowering of a aote other than placing the appropriate
accidental beside the numeral (eg. 7, cancelling a natural in the key signature, or 7, cancelling a sherp).. EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 3
EXAMPLE 4
EXAMPLE 52
and § = §,. The following passage includes most of the chromatic alterations you are likely
to find in Grade 6,
g 6 4 aa] i
Unless the music modulates (i.e. moves to or passes through a new key), chromatic
alterations to chords in the Grade 6 syllabus will occur only when the passage is in
‘a minor key. The chords most, likely to be affected are the tonic (which is sometimes
‘changed to a major chord at the final cadence) and the dominant and subdominant chords
which can be major or minor depending upon their context, In Ex.3, both forms of the
tonic, subdominant and dominant chords are used.
6 5 6 F #6 # $F
‘The supertonic chord may also contain a chromatic alteration, in this case to the s.
In the key of C minor, for example, a $ on the supertonic consists of the notes F and Ab
above the bass note D, but in the ascending melodic minor scale the diminished Sth (Ab)
is raised to AS. Both forms of the supertonic chord are used in Ex.
. sot 6 4 \
‘One other commonly used symbol may be found in the examination tests. This is ‘the
horizontal dash, indicating that the chord used above the preceding note is to be continued
above a changing bass (see Ex.5a).
5b
In practice, the stroke is often omitted where it is obvious that a chord should not
be changed, so that the dash after the § on Eb in Ex.5a is not strictly necessary.
When @ horizontal dash continues over several beats, it is often a good idea for the
upper parts to adapt the distribution of the chord. The first bar of Ex.5a could be
rewritten as shown in Ex.5b. EXAMPLE 62
Keyboard writing
‘The examples given so far have all been for keyboard, and you will notice that the textures
are very simple. Most of the chords are in four parts, with three notes played by the right
hand; some are in three parts; one is in five parts (Ex.2 last bar); and one is in only two
parts (Ex.3, bar 2, 3rd beat). When writing for keyboard you can vary the number of notes,
in your chords, but care must be given to the way in whic the notes are spaced. An interval
of an octave or more between the bass note and the next note above it is perfectly acceptable,
and can be particularly effective when the bass note is low, Conversely, wide gaps between,
any of the upper parts should always be avoided. A § chord on low G, if laid out as in Ex.6a,
lacks cohesion because of the wide interval in the middle of the chord. Ex.6b shows various ways
in which the chord could be laid out more effectively.
6b
‘One way of ensuring that there are no untoward gaps in the middle of your chords is
to use the left hand exclusively for the bass part, giving all other notes to the right hand
and spacing them closely enough together to lie easily under the fingers. Aim for a four-part
texture (one note in the left hand, three in the right), reducing to three parts when the bass
note is high but you want the rest of the chord to lie in the middle or low register of the
treble-clef stave. Chords in more than four parts should be used very rarely; reserve them.
for points such as cadences where you want a richer sonority.
When laying out §, $ and § chords in four parts, one note must be doubled at the octave.
There is no hard-and-fast rule about which note to double, but here is a useful guide:
$: double the bass note or the s.
$: when the interval between the © and a is a perfect 4th, double a note other than the bass
note; when the interval between the 6 and s is an augmented 4th, double the bass note.
{: double the bass note.
In keyboard realisations of Baroque continuo parts you will sometimes see four-note chords
(the §, §, and £) reduced to three parts. When one of the notes is left out, the character
of the chord is changed. It is therefore safer to lay out four-note chords in full, with the
exception only of the § from Which the s may be omitted without much loss of colour.
Because figured bass uses numerals, beginners sometimes fall into the trap of thinking they
can compose by numbers without trying to imagine how the music they are writing will sound.
Seeing a § chord on C, they immediately double the C at the octave and write the notes E
and G above it before moving on to the next bass note, which is realised without thought to
how it might relate to the chord they have just written or the chord above the next bass note.
Ex.7a shows what can heppen when exercises are worked in this way. Each chord, taken in
isolation, is laid out correctly, but when the chords are played in succession the music
sounds very disconnected. The top part leaps about in a rcost illogical way, and the passage
is full of consecutive perfect Sths and octaves. The reason why these consecutive perfect
consonances should be avoided is that the intervals, being so strong in themselves, reinforce
a melodic line and make it stand out too prominently. This is really an aspect of part-writing
(see AB Guide, Part If, 16/2); but you should bear in mind that, although a predominantly
chordal texture is expected in the examination tests, the horizontal element of the music
(including the melodic logic of the top and inner parts of the chords) cannot be disregarded. EXAMPLE 7a
EXAMPLE To
EXAMPLE Be
EXAMPLE 8
EXAMPLE 9
¢ % 7
‘A more effective working is shown in Ex.7b. Notice the shape of the top part: most of
the time it is in contrary motion to the bass, and further melodic interest is achieved by the
pair of quavers at the end of the first bar which use both the » and s of the § chord on B.
Notice, too, how the dissonant intervals (the diminished 5th in bar 1 and the augmented 4th
and minor 7th in bar 4) are treated: in each case the notes creating the clash move up or
down by step. Finally, notice the way the texture is varied: chords in the higher register
all have four notes, while most of those in the lower register have only three.
As in the above example, you should always try to give the top part melodic shape,
bearing in mind that it is not necessary to write the motes of chords in the order in which the
figures appear. Ex.84, though a perfectly accurate realisation of the figuring, is dull because
the top part is confined to two notes. Compare this working with Ex.8b.
ty A *
1] fT
Where possible, you should also try to introduce rhythmic interest into your realisations,
‘When a bass note is held for more than one beat and no change of harmony is indicated,
it is often a good idea for the notes of the chord to be redistributed in the upper parts.
‘Compare Ex.9a, which is rhythmically very dull, with Ex.9b.
% ‘When realising figured basses for keyboard, do not make the music too elaborate.
Close-position chords (ie. chords in which the upper notes are spaced as closely together
as possible) will ensure that the music is not too difficult and will be equally effective on
organ or harpsichord (the two keyboard instruments most frequently used for continuo playing
during the figured-bass period) or on the modern piano, It is advisable not to make the compass
of the right-hand part too wide: generally speaking you should keep to the stave, and in no
circumstances go beyond two ledger lines above or below it.
With regard to notating keyboard music, notes of a chord can share a single stem and
should do so whenever possible. Only when the parts do not move together is it necessary
to combine upward and downward stems. Look back at the examples given so far to see how
they are notated; you will learn much by copying them out (but riot Exs.6a, 7a, 8a or 9al).
Wri
ing for voices
‘When realising a figured bass for four-part voices you must of course maintain a four-part
texture throughout, This means that when the chord is a triad you must decide which note
to double; and the advice given above about laying out §, $ and § chords in four parts for
keyboard holds good for four-part vocal writing, though notes can now be doubled either
at the octave or at the unison, It should be emphasised, however, that the vertical sounds
(the chords) are only part of the texture, and in four-part writing the melodic logic of the
individual parts and the relationship of each part to the others are equally important, Good
part-writing, whether for voices or an instrumental ensemble, is essentially a compromise
between vertical and horizontal elements.
To see how this works in practice, look at this example of four-part vocal writing.
(Chorale: ‘Lobe Gen Herren’ (Seralnd Gesangbuch 1665
ore © © © ©
tir it rt ir
EXAMPLE 10
a
‘The first thing to notice is that the soprano is the most runeful part. The alto and tenor
are relatively unadventurous but are not without melodic interest. When realising figured
basses for SATB, it is a good idea to sketch in the whole of the soprano part first.
‘The alto and tenor parts can then be added to complete the harmony; and although they will
tend to have more repeated or sustained notes than the top part, you should try to make them
as interesting as possible. When you have sketched out your working, sing or play each of the
upper voice parts to make sure none of them contains any intervals which are difficult to sing.
‘Major 7ths and all augmented and diminished intervals can come into this category, and
although these melodic intervals are used by various composers (e.g. by J. S. Bach in his,
chorale harmonisations), they are best avoided at this stage. It is a good plan to play the tenor
and bass together; then alto, tenor and bass; and finally al. four parts. You will not be able
10 do this in the examination room, of course, but in the early stages it is an excellent way
of finding out how the parts work against each other. You should also go through each pair
of parts to make sure there are no consecutive perfect consonances (unisons, 5Sths, octaves).
‘There are six separate pairs to check: S/A, S/T, S/B, A/T, A/B and T/B. Other points to notice about Ex.10 are:
1) The compass of each voice part is comfortably within its normal range. The approximate
ranges of soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices are set out in AB Guide, Part II, 14/1, but it
‘must be emphasised that untrained singers may often have a more limited range, particularly
at the upper end of the compass. Even trained singers can find it tiring to sing a long line of
very high notes, Notes towards the top of the compass should therefore be used sparingly and
are easier to sing when approached by a series of small steps rather than by leaps.
2) The spacing between the bass and tenor parts is carefully managed so that the widest interval
(here it is an octave) is used whenever the bass is lower than C, and intervals of less than a 5th
are not used when the bass is lower than D. This illustrates an important principle: close spacing
between bass and tenor parts should be avoided when the bass isin the lower part of its register.
In this particular passage the interval between the notes of any two adjacent voice parts (soprano
and alto, alto and tenor, tenor and bass) is never more than an octave. You will often find
intervals greater than an octave between tenor and bass parts, though not between any other pair
of adjacent voices. The comments made on p.6 about spacing of chords for keyboard hold good
when writing for four-part voices: wide gaps in the middle of the texture should be avoided but
can be very effective at the bottom of chords.
3) Where two adjacent chords have one or more notes in common, these notes (shown by
‘square brackets) are in the same part, This helps to bind the chords together and at the
‘same time ensures smooth part-writing. As a general rule it is a good idea to bind chords
‘together in this way, but there are occasions when it is more important to give one or more of the
voice parts an interesting melodic shape. Slavish adherence to the principle of keeping notes
‘common to adjacent chords in the same part can lead to a succession of repeated notes which is
dull to sing and can be duil to listen to.
4) OF the twelve § chords in the extract, the bass note is doubled in all but two of them.
‘The exceptions are the chords at (b) and (d). In (b), a major triad, the alto and tenor
double the s at the unison; in (d), a minor triad, the » is doubled at the octave.
5) There are two § chords. In the chord at (a) the interval between the 6 and 3 is
a perfect 4th, so the bass note is not doubled. In the chord at (c) the bass note is the one
to be doubled because the interval between the ¢ and s is an augmented 4th.
6) The chord at (¢) is a 8. The s in the tenor, which clashes with the « in the soprano,
is prepared (i. sounded) in the previous chord, The dissonance is resolved by the tenor falling
a semitone to F# in the chord at (f) while the soprano stays on A.
7) The 8 to 7 progression at (£) is treated by giving both notes to the same part - the alto.
‘This is a common melodic progression, but sometimes the dissonant 7th is approached by leap.
Where is to move to 7 in the exercises at the end of this section (and in similar ones in the
examination papers) it will be shown ia the figuring, as it is here (ie. 2").
Where a chord is figured simply as 7 (implying §), the 7 may be approached by leap or by
step; the latter is more usual in vocal music from the figured-bass period,
8) The final chord at (g) is a $, but the 5 is omitted. This is because the natural movement
of the two inner parts ~ F# in the tenor wanting to rise to G, C in the alto needing to fall
to B ~ is not at odds with the desired sonority of the final chord. You will often see cadences
in chorales and hymn tunes where the leading note does not rise to the tonic but falls to
the 5 of the tonic chord. If it did so here, the final chord would have a much darker colour
‘because the tenor would be only a 5th above the low G in the bass part (see point 2 above).
‘Note, however, that the dissonant 7th in the { chord must always be resolved downwards
by step. 10
Bearing in mind the points made about Ex.10, look at the realisation below which can be
‘used as a model for your own workings. You will notice that at the cadence the leading note
{given to the alto) does not rise to the tonic. On this occasion, a fuller sonority is desirable for
the final chord, and this is more important than the melodic shape of one of the inner parts.
‘You will also notice that in the final chord the interval between the tenor and bass is greater
than an octave. This brightens the sound and is a good example of how wide spacing at
the bottom of a chord can be used to good effect. It should be emphasised, however, that
under no circumstances should you have more than an octave between the soprano and alto
or between the alto and tenor parts.
EXAMPLE |
ert
Exeroise 1. Writing for four-part voices (SATB) or keyboard, realise the chords indicated, Assume that
all chords are } unless otherwise shown. 12
his 13
B_ Harmonising melodies
“The chords to be identified in Grade 5 were the tonic, subdominant and dominant,
together with the supertonic. A lot can be done with these four chords, and you will find
quite lengthy passages in many different kinds of music which use only these chords set out
in root position or first inversion. Second-inversion chords are used more rarely except at
cadence points, where the ¢: § progression on the dominant (Ic-V) is a common formula,
In Grade 6, the harmonic vocabulary is extended to chords derived from triads on any
degree of the major or minor scale. The syllabus also introduces chords which include the
‘Ith above the root as well as the 3rd and 5th. The construction of these added 7th chords is
described in AB Guide, Part I, p.61. It is of course possible to add 7ths to triads on any
degree of the scale, but at this stage 7th chords and their inversions are confined to those
‘on the supertonic (root position and first inversion only) and dominant notes (any position).
‘These chords are frequently used at cadence points because of the need for the dominant
Tth to be resolved. Just as the progression V’-I is a more compelling form of the perfect
cadence than V-I (see AB Guide, Part I, 9/2b), so the dominant chord (with or without
added 7th) is prepared more powerfully when preceded by the supertonic 7th either in root
position (II?) or first inversion (II"b). The imperfect cadence II-V is thus stronger as II’-V,
and the supertonic chord with added 7th is often used to precede the dominant 7th at
perfect cadences. The progression II"-V'-I is very common at final cadences; even more
‘common is the progression II"b-V"-I.
EXAMPLE 12
mwioor
‘The choice of suitable chords to harmonise melodies at cadential points was a requirement
of the Grade 5 syllabus. In Grade 6 you will be asked to harmonise complete melodies, and
you will be given the choice of two different exercises. In the first you will be asked to
select suitable chords to accompany a short diatonic melody (most melodies will be about
eight bars Jong) in any major or minor key. The chords can be shown by the Roman
numeral system or, if you prefer, by letter names as in jaz notation. (These two methods of
indicating chords are discussed in more detail below.) The alternative is to provide a bass to
a given melody and to indicate the harmonies by providing figures. These exercises are
essentially the same: each tests your ability to provide a chordal accompaniment to a given
melodic line, The only real difference is in the method of indicating the chords, though the
melodies for the first alternative are likely to cover a wider range of styles than those for the
second which will be taken from music composed during the figured-bass period,
‘A melody can be harmonised in various ways, There is no single solution which is correct
and, although some harmonisations may be better than others, there will usually be several
versions which are equally effective. Séme of the melodies in the exercises at the end of this
section are taken from works by known composers, as are some you will find in the
examination papers. In such cases you are not expected to reproduce the composer's
original harmonies. You will get full credit for any harmonisation which works, however
different it may be from what the composer actually wrote, 14
EXAMPLE 132
EXAMPLE 13
EXAMPLE it
A good harmonisation is one in which the melody is supported by appropriate chords set
out so that they move smoothly from one to another. You have already discovered at Grade
5 how chords on the tonic, supertonic, subdominant and dominant can be used at cadence
points, and you are familiar with the following cadential progressions:
1) V-I (the perfect cadence);
2) IV-I (the plagal cadence);
3) I-V, II-V and IV-V (imperfect cadences).
It should be emphasised that use of these progressions is not confined to cadences. The
progression V-I, for example, can occur at the beginning or in the middle of a phrase, as
‘can the progression I-V. The opening of the Hornpipe from Handel’s Water Music
Suite No.2 is based entirely on tonic and dominant chords:
Alla Hornpipe * «
Ib vy rh VIR Vv VIB VwVvIn v
Although only two chords are used in this phrase, the harnony is never dull. This is partly
‘because in the first three bars the pattem of change between tonic and dominant chords is
varied (but notice that there is always a change from the last beat of one bar to the first
‘beat of the next), and partly because the two notes marked with asterisks in bars 3 and 4
are treated as non-harmony notes. Much of the interest, however, is due to the fact that
‘Handel mixes root-position (§) chords with chords in first inversion (8). The mixture of §
and § chords allows more variety of harmonic colour and at the same time makes it possible
for the bass part to have a more interesting shape. If we re-harmonise the passage using
only root-position chords, a great deal of interest is lost.
Alla Hornpipe . +
yee
=e
First inversions are often used instead of root positions, especially when the melody note
is the root or 5th of the chord. When the melody note is the 3rd of the triad, it is usually
better for the supporting chord to be in root position, though the mediant note can some-
times be harmonised by chord Ib. The leading note, however, should never be harmonised by
chord Vb, because it will result in consecutive octaves between the melody and bass parts
oy
wor
"Throughout Section B of this book asterisks are used in the music examples to indicate non-harmony notes.
‘The various kinds of non-harrnony note are described in AB Guide, Past HL, 15/1-7. EXAMPLE 15
EXAMPLE 17
15
ids
‘The tonic and dominant chords are the most important in tonal harmony because of the
magnetic pull between them. The next chord in order of importance is the subdominant
(Chord IV), which is the third of the three primary triads. Tt can be used as an alternative
to chord I to harmonise the tonic note, and it is the only primary triad which can be used
The primary t
to harmonise the 4th and 6th degrees of the diatonic scale.
Use of the three primary triads close together is a very strong way of stating the key at
the beginning of a piece (see Ex.15) or at the beginning of a new section when there has
been a change of key (see Ex.16). ‘Chopin: Nocturne No.1
in G minor (middle section)
(Andante sostenuto)
‘Hymn tune: ‘Horsley’
16
a
1 Vv river bi Vv rvwiowitvt
Composers sometimes write quite lengthy passages using only chords I, TV and V.
A good example is the opening of the last movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.
‘The symphony is in C minor, which is the main key of the first and third movements.
‘The fourth and final movement is in C major, however, and to emphasise the new key
Beethoven bases the first 34 bars of his finale entirely on the three primary triads, set out in
root position or first inversion. Ex.17 shows the opening bars of this finale. Some
instrumental parts have been left out to make the passage easier to play on the keyboard.
Allegro (3-19 3 ‘ 5 ‘
Sf
ve Vv te 1 vp Vv bo
‘You will notice that in this example non-harmony notes occur in the bass as well as in
the melody. This makes the bass part more interesting in bars 8 and 10, where the quaver
figure is an inversion of the melody in bars 7 and 9. Passing notes and auxiliary notes can
be introduced into bass parts to keep the rhythm going when the melody is still, to make
the bass more shapely, and (as here) to imitate fragments of the melody. Generally,
however, bass parts have less movement than the melodies above them except in
contrapuntal music, 16
EXAMPLE 18
EXAMPLE 192
Beethoven’s use of chords I, IV and V in this passage makes the harmony very bold
and solid. The key of C major is firmly established in the first six bars by the constant
to-and-fro of tonic and dominant chords, and the magnetic pull of the tonic is made more
compelling by the addition of the 7th to the dominant trisds in bars 2 and 3. The
introduction of the subdominant chord in bar 7 brings variety to the harmony and at the
same time confirms C as the tonal centre. Play through this passage, and if possible listen
to a recording of the work, in order to see how chords I, TV and V/V" work together to
produce a strong sense of Key.
AA Jot of traditional folk and pop music is based on the three primary triads.
Spiritual: ‘When the saints go marching in’
Quick
at
eee beeen
‘Tris spiritual has become a standard jazz number. You will often hear it played with more
sophisticated harmonies (jazz musicians frequently add extra notes to triads to make the
chords more interesting, and even replace simple diatonic chords with more chromatic ones
built on a different root), but the harmonic basis of the melody is as shown in Ex.18. Rests
have been placed beneath the first three crotchet notes because it is not appropriate for this
anacrusis to be harmonised.
Deciding when to change chords
‘You will notice that in Ex.18 there are very few chord changes until the last three bars. The
speed of this melody is quick, and if we were to harmonise every note the music would
sound very cluttered, By contrast, every note but one of tke hymn tune in Ex.15 is
harmonised with a different chord. Most hymn tunes are harmonised in this way, with a
change of chord on each of the main beats of the bar.
Changing to a new chord or to a different position of the same chord has the effect of
stressing the melody note because it introduces a new harmonic colour. When a composer
wishes to emphasise every note of his melody, he harmonises each note with a different
chord. This is often done to make the music sound solemn (as in Ex.16) or majestic (as in
Ex.13a). There are passages in many different kinds of music, vocal and instrumental, in
which there is a change of chord for every note, or almost every note, of the melody. Here
are some more examples, though in these the harmony is not confined to the primary triads:
Handel: ‘Worthy is the Lamb? from Messiah
Largo g (ois parts and basso coninvo on)
y
Wor -thy | is the Lamb that was slain,
bd |e EXAMPLE 196
EXAMPLE 19
EXAMPLE 202
EXAMPLE 20b
”7
Largo assai Haydn: String Quartet, Op.74 No.3
Wagner: Overture to Tannhuser
Andante maestoso 1A
In each of these passages the harmonic rhythm (je. the rhythmic pattem produced by
‘chord changes) is identical to the rhythm of the melodic line, except for the appoggiatura at
the end of the Wagner example. However, not all melodies can be harmonised successfully
in this way. If we try to harmonise the tune ‘Lavender’s blue’ with a different chord for
every note, it will sound very awkward.
Allegretto
a
TVoV IVbIVI WivelvbIV I vbV IVbIVI Wk WT
‘The principal reason why this harmonisation does not work is that rhythmically
unimportant notes are given as much stress as those falling on the strong first beat of the
bar. This destroys the simple, lilting rhythm of the melody. What is needed here is a
cchange of chord only where the main accents fall, that is on the first beat of each bar.
‘There is, of course, a subsidiary accent on the fourth quaver beat but, as no change of
harmony is suggested by the melody, it is better to keep to one chord in each of the first
three bars, Notice, though, that the working shown in Ex.20b uses four chords in the final
bar, one for each melody note. This quickening of the harmonic rhythm makes the cadence
‘more emphatic. Composers ofien increase the rate of harmonic change when approaching
final cadences.
Allegretto
1 wv i Wiew 1
‘These two harmonisations of ‘Lavender's blue’ illustrate how important it is for the
harmonic rhythm to be in keeping with the style of the melody. Slow-moving melodies
need more chord changes to Keep them going, and very long notes may need to be
supported by more than one chord. Melodies in which there are a lot of quick notes need
fewer chord changes, as do those in a simple flowing style. 18
EXAMPLE 21
EXAMPLE 22
EXAMPLE 23
EXAMPLE 24
EXAMPLE 25
Here is another melody in § time. It moves at about the same speed as ‘Lavender’s blue”
(J, =c.50), but in this case a change of chord on the second dotted crotchet beat is a good idea
because the melody notes in the second half of the bar suggest chord V", not chord I.
Furthermore, there are no busy semiquaver groups in this melody, so two chords per bar will
help to keep the rhythm going.
‘American folk-song: ‘The streets of Laredo’
r ee
1 v I v bow 1 v
‘Tempo indications and dynamic markings, if there are any, can often provide useful clues
to the style of a melody and help you to decide how often to change chords. After that, you
need to decide which notes should be treated as harmony notes and which should not. This
is quite difficult for beginners; so to help you in the early stages, asterisks are placed above
all non-harmony notes in the first ten melodies in Exercise 2 on pp.26-27.
Secondary triads
‘The secondary triads are built on the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees of the scale, In the key
of C major their roots are D, E, A and B:
bee Be
nom vivir
‘These chords are of two types: three of them (IT, IIT and VI) are minor chords; chord VIT
is diminished. By combining secondary triads with the primary triads, all of which are
major chords, we add greatly to the variety of harmonic colour available.
A good way of exploring the harmonic function of the secondary triads is to consider
their relationship to the primary chords. For example, chord II can in certain contexts be
used as an akternative to chord IV. The cadential progression II-V-I is very similar in
effect to the progression IV-V-I, as you have already discovered in your work for Grade 5.
‘This is because chords IT and TV have two notes in common:
se
nov
If we add a 7th to chord II the relationship is even closer:
=
w mv
Similarly, chords VII and V’ are closely relat
vu EXAMPLE 26
EXAMPLE 27
EXAMPLE 28
EXAMPLE 29
19
Chord III has two notes in common with the primary triads whose roots lie a 3rd either
side of it:
SS
1 om v
‘It can sometimes be used instead of chord I to harmonise the mediant or dominant note,
and in some contexts offers an alternative to chord V for the dominant or leading note.
Likewise, chord VI is related to chords IV and I:
Ve viear
tis occasionally used in place of chord IV (compare the progressions I-IV-V with I-VI-V,
and I-IV-I-V with I-VI-II-V), and is often used to interrupt an expected perfect
cadence (see AB Guide, Part I, 9/2e). It should be emphasised, however, that the secondary
triads are not interchangeable with the primary triads, Each chord has its own individual
colour and harmonic function which you must learn to feel and then use for its own sake.
‘The secondary triads are particularly useful when harmonising melodies which
incorporate stepwise movement. To illustrate this, let us look at two possible ways of,
harmonising a short hymn-tune-like phrase with a different chord for each note. The first
uses only primary triads, though a 7th is added to chord V at the cadence.
L 2 3
ee
‘There is nothing really wrong with this harmonisation, though the progression V-IV in
bar 1 isa little awkward. Consecutive root-position chords on notes a tone or semitone
apart are best avoided when the bass is in parallel motion with the melody, because the ear
hears consecutive parallel Sths even when, as here, they are not actually present in the part-
writing. The reason for this is that the perfect 12th (a compound perfect 5th) is one of the
‘most prominent notes in the harmonic series. When the bass and melody move in
‘consecutive 10ths, the resulting parallel 5ths in the overtones are clearly audible.
Consecutive Sths can be heard again in bar 2, where we have used the progtession IV-V.
‘This is a standard progression in music of all kinds (it is often used to form an imperfect
cadence or to precede chord I at final cadences), but for the reason just given the
progression works best when the melody and bass are in contrary motion:
wov
‘The problem of implied consecutive 5ths can be avoided if we substitute secondary triads
for some of the primary chords. The combination of primary and secondary triads will also
enable us to make the harmony more varied and to give the bass part a more interesting
shape. 20
EXAMPLE 30
EXAMPLE 3la
EXAMPLE 315
1 ve Wet oe yt
‘This harmonisation uses all four of the secondary triads (as does the chorale harmonisation
shown in Ex.10 of Section A). Notice in particular the progression I-V-VI-III at the
beginning. This progression is often used to harmonise descending scales and is very
effective because of the sequential pattern of the bass. You should memorise this
progression and also the progression IV-VITb-I (bar 2), t-ying them in different keys. If
you experiment with chord VIL, you will find it sounds best in first inversion: diminished
triads are used most frequently in this position. The cadential progression II"b-V-I should
also be memorised. It is one of the most effective and frequently used progressions
at final cadences,
‘The secondary triads used in conjunction with primary triads also make it possible to
write more interesting and varied harmony in pieces where it is not appropriate to have a
different chord for every note of the melody. The sea shanty ‘Spanish ladies’ is in } time,
but the tempo is fairly quick and there is a strong feeling of one dotted minim beat in each
bar, not three crotchets. The first phrase of the melody suggests movement between tonic
and dominant chords but, if we try to harmonise it with these chords only, we cannot make
chord changes where we need to. Chord I must be used throughout the first two bars, and
V for the next two.
With a swing (J.= 4 Sea shanty: ‘Spanish ladies
1 2 : 4
‘This is not very effective because the harmonic rhythm does not match the rhythm of the
melody. Sing the tune, observing the given style indication and tempo marking, and you
will find you are making a natural stress on the first beat of each bar. What is needed,
therefore, is a change of chord after each bar-line to emphasise the swinging rhythm. It is
possible to do this by introducing two of the secondary triads.
With a swing (J.=