Grade 6 Figured Bass and Melody Piece

Question 1

What is the least common figured bass inversion

Answer 1

6-4

Question 2

What inversion are diminished triads used in?

Answer 2

1st inversion only

Very rarely in root

NEVER in 2nd inversion

Question 3

List all cadences

Answer 3

1. Perfect authentic 5-1 in root
2. Authentic 5-1
3. Decorated 5- -1
4. Plagal 4-1
5. Interrupted/deceptive 5-6m
6. Imperfect/half cadence 2m, 6m, 1, 2, 4 - 5

Question 4

What are most common chords to use once Composition structure is set

Answer 4

2,4 and 6

Question 5

What is a good tactic for major key Composition pieces

Answer 5

Finish first 4 bars with all major chords then go into Minor at start of 2nd 4 bars

Question 6

What is a guaranteed sound good progression in a major piece

Answer 6

6m - 2m - 5 Progression of fifths

A - D - G in Key of C

Question 7

What motion should bass and soprano lines move in

Answer 7

Contrary motion (opposite directions)

Question 8

What chords are useful to borrow briefly from other scales when in harmonic minor

Answer 8

The 3 chord (relative major, C in A minor)

The 7 chord (The dominant of relative major G in A Minor)

Question 9

What are the available chords in roman numerals when writing in minor key

Answer 9

Question 10

How do you write diminshed intervals in your melody?

Answer 10

Generally dont but if you do the note following the diminished interval must rise by step

Question 11

What must you be careful of when using a secondary chord?

Answer 11

When your melody only contains one or two actual chord notes, make sure that they do not both belong to a primary chord, as the primary chord will override the secondary chord aurally. E.g. (in A minor) if you want to use chord III (C major) don’t only write E and G, as the brain will interpret this as chord i.

Question 12

What is good practice with Leaps in your melody?

Answer 12

Avoid two leaps in a row unless they make a triad or if you really wan two leaps in a row make sure there not in the same direction

Question 13

What are the rules for doubling in figured bass?

Answer 13

NEVER double the leading note

When you have a choice of notes to double try root first

Question 14

What proggression is tricky for consecutives and may involve emergency doubling

Answer 14

V-VI progression in a minor key (6 is minor in amajor key)when both chords are in root, usually need to double the third in chord VI

Question 15

When are consecutives likely to occur

Answer 15

Similair motion and two chords with same inversion

Question 16

What are the rules for consecutives

Answer 16

Perfect 5th followed by same > NO

Perfect octave followed by same > NO

Perfect compound 5th (= perfect 12th) followed by same > NO

Simple perfect 5th followed/preceded by compound perfect 5th > NO

Perfect interval followed by diminished/augmented interval (or vice versa)> OK

Perfect 5th or octaves which are repeated notes > OK (e.g. C-G followed by another C-G)

Question 17

How do you treat auxilary/passing and non chord notes when looking for consecutives

Answer 17

check for consecutives EXCLUDING them then check agiain INCLUDING them

Question 18

What is the voice leading rules for 6-4 chords when moving to a root chord?

Answer 18

Root chord 5-3 will alway be figured in full to remind you of the strict voice leading rules

the 6 must move to the 5in same voice

the 4 must move to the 3 in same voice

Other two voices must both contain the dominant

Question 19

What is a good way to use chromatic notes in your melody?

Answer 19

As an auxilliary note to change the aux not from a ditonic to a chromatic creating a mini leading note into the chord

as a passing note

Question 20

What must the leading note be followed by in figured bass?

Answer 20

It must be followed by the tonic in the same part.

Question 21

What intervals should you try and avoid in each voice in figured bass?

Answer 21

Augmented and diminished

Question 22

What are the rules you should structure your melody piece around?

Answer 22

o Plan an imperfect cadence in bar 4 (any chord followed by V)
o Plan a perfect cadence in bar 8 (V-I).
o The second chord of the cadence should fall on a stronger beat than the first chord. o This means that the V in the imperfect cadence and the I in the perfect cadenceshould fall on the first beat of the bar.
o Plan chord V towards the end of bar 7 to complete the perfect cadence.

Question 23

What are the secondary rules for your melody piece once the main structure is in place?

Answer 23

o Avoid chord iii – it wasn’t used much in music of this style.
o Avoid chord vii°, but if you must use it, make sure it is followed by I. (Chord vii° isbasically the same as V7 minus its root).
o Make sure you use some secondary chords.

o Avoid too much repetition.
o The progression vi-ii-V always works well.
o V is most often followed by I or VI.

Question 24

What are the rules for using the V chord in a minor key?

Answer 24

If V isn’t moving to i, you can choose between the raised or unraised versions of the notes. It does not matter whether the melody is rising or falling. E.g. you can write (in A minor) A-G#- F#-E or A-G-F-E. But avoid A-G#-F-E, because of the augmented 2nd.

Question 25

In figured bass what note should you try and double if you have choices?

Answer 25

Always try to double the ROOT first

Question 26

What progression in figured bass requires emergency doubling?

Answer 26

The V-VI progression in a minor key when both chords are in root, the VI will require the 3rd to be doubled

Question 27

What are the rules for ommisions in figured bass?

Answer 27

Dont omit anything unless you have to!

Question 28

What degrees of the scale can produce and augmented or diminhsed interval in a major key melody piece?

Answer 28

between 4th and 7th

Aug 4th or Dim 5th

Question 29

What should you do if you find and au or dim interval in your 4 part harmony?

Answer 29

Change something and make it GO AWAY!

Question 30

When writing in minor keys especially what must you be carefull of when adding accidentals?

Answer 30

That they will apply to any of the same notes int he same bar so you may need a natural

Question 31

What is Tierce de Picardie?

Answer 31

When a minor piece ends with the tonic MAJOR chord

Question 32

What are the 4 types of melodic decoration and how are they used?

Answer 32

Passing Note - usually unaccented and placed in the space between notes which are a third apart.

Auxiliary Note - used between the same notes, handy to spice up a boring soprano line.

Anticipations - Usually an eigth note later than the normal chord to anticipate following chord with an eigth note in the same voice

Suspension - Used to add syncopation, usually same note in same voice repeated using an on the beat eigth note then drops to correct note quarter beat.

Question 33

What should you be carefull of when adding a passing note in minor key?

Answer 33

Creating an augmented or diminshed interval, espcailly if using melodic minor scale.

Question 34

Write out the figures for 7th chords?

Answer 34

Question 36

When you see a floating sharp in figured bass what note gets sharpened?

Answer 36

Third

Question 37

What is the voice leading rule for using the 7th in figured bass?

Answer 37

The added 7th should always fall by a step

Question 38

How do you identify where a seventh chord might be inteded on exam question for figured bass?

Answer 38

Check which figure has the bass and melody a compound 2nd apart

Question 39

What is a suspension and draw what it might look like?

Answer 39

Question 40

How would you figure a suspension?

Answer 40

Question 41

How can you tell a suspension may be required?

Answer 41

Question 42

List some common traps in grammer for figured bass?

Answer 42

Question 43

What leaps should you avoid in your melody?

Answer 43

7th