Grade 6 Figured Bass and Melody Piece Flashcards
What is the least common figured bass inversion
6-4
What inversion are diminished triads used in?
1st inversion only
Very rarely in root
NEVER in 2nd inversion
List all cadences
- Perfect authentic 5-1 in root
- Authentic 5-1
- Decorated 5- -1
- Plagal 4-1
- Interrupted/deceptive 5-6m
- Imperfect/half cadence 2m, 6m, 1, 2, 4 - 5
What are most common chords to use once Composition structure is set
2,4 and 6
What is a good tactic for major key Composition pieces
Finish first 4 bars with all major chords then go into Minor at start of 2nd 4 bars
What is a guaranteed sound good progression in a major piece
6m - 2m - 5 Progression of fifths
A - D - G in Key of C
What motion should bass and soprano lines move in
Contrary motion (opposite directions)
What chords are useful to borrow briefly from other scales when in harmonic minor
The 3 chord (relative major, C in A minor)
The 7 chord (The dominant of relative major G in A Minor)
What are the available chords in roman numerals when writing in minor key
How do you write diminshed intervals in your melody?
Generally dont but if you do the note following the diminished interval must rise by step
What must you be careful of when using a secondary chord?
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.
What is good practice with Leaps in your melody?
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
What are the rules for doubling in figured bass?
NEVER double the leading note
When you have a choice of notes to double try root first
What proggression is tricky for consecutives and may involve emergency doubling
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
When are consecutives likely to occur
Similair motion and two chords with same inversion
What are the rules for consecutives
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)
How do you treat auxilary/passing and non chord notes when looking for consecutives
check for consecutives EXCLUDING them then check agiain INCLUDING them
What is the voice leading rules for 6-4 chords when moving to a root chord?
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
What is a good way to use chromatic notes in your melody?
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
What must the leading note be followed by in figured bass?
It must be followed by the tonic in the same part.
What intervals should you try and avoid in each voice in figured bass?
Augmented and diminished
What are the rules you should structure your melody piece around?
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.
What are the secondary rules for your melody piece once the main structure is in place?
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.
What are the rules for using the V chord in a minor key?
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.
In figured bass what note should you try and double if you have choices?
Always try to double the ROOT first
What progression in figured bass requires emergency doubling?
The V-VI progression in a minor key when both chords are in root, the VI will require the 3rd to be doubled
What are the rules for ommisions in figured bass?
Dont omit anything unless you have to!
What degrees of the scale can produce and augmented or diminhsed interval in a major key melody piece?
between 4th and 7th
Aug 4th or Dim 5th
What should you do if you find and au or dim interval in your 4 part harmony?
Change something and make it GO AWAY!
When writing in minor keys especially what must you be carefull of when adding accidentals?
That they will apply to any of the same notes int he same bar so you may need a natural
What is Tierce de Picardie?
When a minor piece ends with the tonic MAJOR chord
What are the 4 types of melodic decoration and how are they used?
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.
What should you be carefull of when adding a passing note in minor key?
Creating an augmented or diminshed interval, espcailly if using melodic minor scale.
Write out the figures for 7th chords?
When you see a floating sharp in figured bass what note gets sharpened?
Third
What is the voice leading rule for using the 7th in figured bass?
The added 7th should always fall by a step
How do you identify where a seventh chord might be inteded on exam question for figured bass?
Check which figure has the bass and melody a compound 2nd apart
What is a suspension and draw what it might look like?
How would you figure a suspension?
How can you tell a suspension may be required?
List some common traps in grammer for figured bass?
What leaps should you avoid in your melody?
7th
