The Baroque 3/4. ca Based on the writings of Anna Butterworth: Stylistic Harmony (OUP 1992)

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Loraine Holmes
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1 The Baroque 3/4 ca Based on the writings of Anna Butterworth: Stylistic Harmony (OUP 1992) NB To understand the slides herein, you must play though all the sound examples to hear the principles in action. The sound of the music will make sense of the rules.

2 Harmony of Bach s Chorales Usually basic, functional Uses mainly primary triads (I, IV, V) + inversions thereof Progressions often in 5ths & 3rds Modulation to closely-related keys. What s special?: contrapuntal decoration, & harmonic decoration. NB chorales are based on hymn words and tunes known.

3 E.g. play through these...

4 Harmonizing Roots that move in 3rds

5 The Cadence Constitute some 30% of a chorale (cadences at end of every short phrase). Cadences need careful handling...

6 Some rules: No passing notes on pause chords, because they re pausing + there are no words. Leading notes often fall a 3rd to the 5th of the triad (of chord I), or rise (leap) to the 3rd of the tonic chord. Chorales always end on a major triad. Cadence chords are usually in root position.

7 How J. S. Bach usually writes his perfect cadences 1. ii7b before chord V: 2. Renaissance 4-3 suspension over chord V:

8 REMINDER TIME: I. Tonic (1) II. Supertonic (2) III. Mediant (3) IV. Subdominant (4 [IV]) V. Dominant (5 [V]) VI. Submediant (6) VII. Leading-note (7) VIII. Tonic (1) NB difference between chords and keys.

9 Modulation to the subdominant (IV) key NB difference between modulation (changing key with a cadence into that key followed by a section of music in that new key) and tonal digression (hinting at a key for just a few chords, without cadencing). In terms of harmonic structure then: CHORD => TONAL DIGRESSION => MODULATION.

10 Modulation to the subdominant (IV) key Tonal digressions to the submediant can be made when the melody falls by a third. Viz:

11 Modulation to the subdominant (IV) key Tonal digressions to the submediant can be made when the melody falls by a third. Viz 2:

12 The Imperfect Cadence (anything to V) Also known as a half-close (it s a strong cadence) Often not resolved, e.h. here where the phrase starts in another key...

13 The Imperfect Cadence (anything to V)...or here where the chorale ends with an imperfect cadence as modal chorales often do:

14 The Imperfect Cadence (anything to V) EXERCISE 1: label the cadence chord here:

15 The Imperfect Cadence (anything to V) EXERCISE 2: label the cadence chord here:

16 The Interrupted Cadence (V-VI) These are rare but dramatic when they happen in Bach s chorales. Here are two examples to play...

17 The Interrupted Cadence (V-VI) Example 2 (very striking):

18 The Plagal Cadence (IV-I) = the Amen progression These are as rare as interrupted cadences in Bach s chorales. They may follow a perfect cadence to extend the piece (dramatic). Bach will often provide a tonal digression in the subdominant (IV) to strengthen the plagal cadence, by decorating it with contrapuntal lines (nice). E.g...

19 The Plagal Cadence (IV-I) = the Amen progression Note how minor chord iv is used in this dramatic example:

20 The Dominant 7th Chord (V7) NB In jazz, all 7th chords are called dominant 7ths, even if they are not dominants (= functioning as a V in the harmony)! In the Baroque, the Renaissance rules for handling 7ths get dropped, as the 7th begins to be accepted as a semi-consonance. Bach still treats the dominant 7th (V7) with care, especially in root position when it s always prepared, introduced in stepwise motion or treated as a passing note.

21 The Dominant 7th Chord (V7) Some examples:

22 The Dominant 7th Chord (V7) And another: Slides on treating different inversions of the dom. 7th to follow.

23 The Dominant 7th Chord (V7) Because it s such an unstable chord, V7 can be used to effect an abrupt modulation from one chorale phrase to another. E.g.:

24 The Dominant 7th Chord (V7) And another example of modulation with V7:

25 The Diminished 7th Chord In minor keys, the 7th chord is diminished.

26 The Diminished 7th Chord In minor keys, the 7th chord is diminished. As such, the diminished 7th chord is sometimes used in minor key chorales instead of V7b. The effect of this? - It beings tension to the music, and is sometimes used as a dramatic modulating passage. E.g....

27 The Diminished 7th Chord The diminished 7th chord used in a minor key chorales instead of V7b in modulation (example 1):

28 The Diminished 7th Chord The diminished 7th chord used in a minor key chorales instead of V7b in modulation (example 2):

29 The Diminished 7th Chord The diminished 7th chord can also be used as a coloured chord at a cadence. Here, iv7 has been altered (see p62 Butterworth)...it d the diminished 7th of the dominant key:

30 Modulation Bach usually modulates at least once in a chorale. Often, the new key will be hinted at at the beginning of a phrase before it s cadenced into. E.g.

31 Modulation Magic chords to use to modulate are: V, V7, viib and the diminished 7th chord. In chorales, you can get an abrupt modulation from one phrase to the next...

32 Modulation Tonal digressions can (of course) happen within a phrase, e.g. observe the tenor here:

33 Modulation Flattened 7ths can be used to contradict a modulation:

34 FIN

A0S2 HARMONY & TONALITY A0S2 HARMONY & TONALITY A0S2 HARMONY & TONALITY A0S2 HARMONY & TONALITY

A0S2 HARMONY & TONALITY A0S2 HARMONY & TONALITY A0S2 HARMONY & TONALITY A0S2 HARMONY & TONALITY Harmony Harmony is when two or more notes of different pitch are played at the same time. The accompanying parts in a piece of music are sometimes called the harmony Harmony can be diatonic or chromatic