the most important points of chorale writing

7/30/2019 The Most Important Points of Chorale Writing

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-most-important-points-of-chorale-writing 1/4

The Most Important Points of Chorale Writing

Harmonising a Melody

Steps to complete this:

a) Name the key

b) Write out the triads for each degree of the scale, and label them with theRoman numeral system and the letter name (e.g. I/C major)

c) Using Roman numerals, name the three possible chords for each notemarked with a * (e.g. the note ‘C’ may have I, IV or vi in C major)

d) Choose one chord from each group of three, and choose the inversion

7th

(d)

5th

(c)

3rd

(b)

root

I II(7) III IV V(7) VI VII

Checklist for Harmonising

Check all notes are correct for the scale you are in

Check the accidentals

Check cadences are correct

Label all of your chords including inversions

Check you are in the right key – major/minor

Make sure you have included a root, 3rd and 5th in your chord

CHECK VOICES – are the voices sensible?

o Alto and Tenor as subtle as possible with little movement

Make sure all the stems are the correct way

No crossed parts

Make sure there is a chord on every crotchet beat – don’t follow the

rhythm of the melody

No gaps larger than an octave between alto and tenor, or soprano and alto



Non-Chord notes

We normally embellish music with non-chord notes (don’t necessarily fit

the chord you are playing) to make the music more interesting

These aren’t necessarily just in the melody, and sometimes they may

clash to provide further interest

You need to be able to recognise the following non-chord notes, and use

them in your harmonising where appropriate:

o Passing notes, Auxiliary notes, Echappee, Anticipation,

Appoggiatura, Suspension

Passing Notes

Move by step between two notes that are a third apart, on the weaker

beat

This is a passing note:

And a chromatic passing note:

Accented passing notes also move by step but are

on the stronger beats, which often sounds like a clash, like this:

Go back through your exercise and add passing notes (not accented passingnotes) to your harmonies where appropriate. Play through the music to help you

decide where you should put the passing notes

Auxiliary notes

Very similar to passing notes, but these occur between two notes that arethe same pitch

An upper auxiliary is one step above the note, and a lower auxiliary is onstep below

Go back through your exercise and add passing notes to

your harmonies where appropriate. Play through the music tohelp you decided where you should put the passing notes



Doubling

5-3 Chords –

Normally double the root, never omit the 3rd

6-3 Chords – Double any itch that is note 1, 4 or 5 of the key you are in, it doesn’t

matter if its root, 3rd

or 5th

.

All Chords – Don’t double any tendency notes (7ths, chromatic notes, dissonant

notes, leading notes)

7th

Chord – Double the root and omit the 5th

Writing Cadences

Important Point:

Most cadences are perfect or imperfect

There is no need to use an interrupted cadence ever, as a perfect cadence

can always be used instead

Key Points

1. Identify the key at the end of the phrase

2. Identify the scale numbers of the final two notes (for example, 7-8)

3. Decide which type of cadence will best fit these notes, and write out the notes of the chords you will need.

4. Work out what the bass notes are, and write them in

5. Add the alto and tenor parts

6. Check everything carefully!

In perfect cadences, if the leading note occurs in the alto or tenor, it often

falls directly to the 5th

of the tonic chord.

In imperfect cadences, Notes 3-2 at the end of a phrase always suggests this

type of cadence. When trying to recreate Bach’s style, note that for imperfect cadences,

Bach preferred to use Ib rather than Ia in the first chord of an imperfect

cadence

Opportunity to double major 3rds in imperfect cadences

Do not use Ic-V in imperfect cadences

Note that you don’t have to use chord I in an imperfect cadence – II7b or

IV7b is fine too, if the melody is not moving 3-2.

Contrary Motion is crucial!



Change chord on every crotchet beat, unless it is a long pause chord, which

should only have one chord.

the most important points of chorale writing

Documents