Vocabulary

SATB Style Notation Range Spacing Voice Crossing Doubling

Notation Soprano and Alto on treble staff Soprano-stems up Alto-stems down Bass and Tenor on bass staff Tenor-stems up Bass-stems down

Range Spacing No more than an octave between the soprano and alto or between alto and tenor. More than an octave between tenor and bass is ok, but usually stays within a 12th

Voice Crossing Doubling Any particular voice cannot sing higher than the voice above it or lower than the voice below it. This helps maintain the independence of each musical line Doubling

Doubling in My Country Tis of Thee

Parts of a Basic Phrase Phrase: basic unit of musical thought, similar to a sentence in language; phrases are marked by ending with a cadence Cadence: harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic features that make a phrase sound like a complete thought Phrases can end conclusively (like a period in a sentence) or inconclusively (like a comma or semicolon in a sentence

The Basic Phrase and Harmonic Function Conclusive phrases include at least three tonal areas. These areas form the harmonic structure of the basic phrase: opening tonic area, dominant area, closing tonic area Conclusive phrases will end with an authentic cadence Inconclusive phrases start with an opening tonic area and usually cadence on the dominant inconclusive phrase end with a half cadence Tonic at the beginning of a phrase establishes a tonal center (“home base”)

Establishing the Tonic Area The tonic area in the Beethoven is expanded through repetitious arpeggiation The tonic area in the Bach is expanded through inverting the tonic triad under the melody

The tonic is actually made stronger by the use of the V on the anacrusis Bach also uses i-V-i motion, but the V is very weak (because of the inversion) and so serves to expand the tonic area

Cadential Area Cadence Types: Cadential area: area that marks the end of the phrase. Cadence: the ending of a phrase Cadence Types: Authentic Cadence: V-I Perfect Authentic Cadence (PAC): V-I; root position V and root position I AND soprano is on scale degree 1 Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC): V-I; V or I (or both)

Imperfect Authentic Cadence

Half Cadence (HC): ends on V Authentic cadences are defined by two chords (V-I) but half cadences are identified only by their final chord; the chord that precedes the V could be one of several. Half cadences typically end on a root-position dominant, and often (though not always) feature scale degree 2 in the soprano

Resolving from V(7) to I or i Check the inversion! Resolve the leading tone up (only exception is if it is in the tenor or alto) Resolve the 7th (if present) down No parallel fifths or octaves No contrary fifths or octaves Repetition of fifths or octaves is ok