VI and IV6

Homework:

Workbook all Chapter 11 OR

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Chapter 11Pg. 73,74, 75, 78(2&3) AND

1. Write 8 bars for piano in minor. You must write in 4 part choral style with all half notes and implement the following usages: (you are free to use any other syntax we have covered in addition to that mentioned below)

a. VI or IV6 leading to V7
b. Cadential 64 leading to V42
c. Use of "P16"
d. use of II6 leading to V65

AND

2. Take what you have written in #1 above and rewrite it for piano, guitar, or any small ensemble you wish. You may deviate from 4 part choral style in the following manner.

a. You can and should use varying note values no larger than a whole note and no smaller than an eighth note.
b. You may change the harmonic rhythm by a quarter note. (ie you can make a harmony occur a quarter note earlier or later)
c. If you write an identifiable melody, it DOES NOT have to follow the rules of 4 part harmony. All other voices must follow the rules of 4 part harmony. You may make your melody line a 5th part and observe the rules of 4 part harmony in the other voices.
d. If you arpeggiate a harmony the voice leading must correspond to that which would occur if the harmony were a single block triad or 7th chord.
e. If you are not writing for vocals You may use octava markings 8va and 8vb to indicate you want the part to sound an octave higher or lower respectively.

AND

3. Render your composition to mp3 and pdf and email both to musictheory2@gmail.com

In class: devise bass lines based on compositional ideas then create figures to accomodate.

REVIEW OF THEORY I
theory1a_notes_13a.html

VI

1.  VI-IV or VI-II6
a. As our tonal vocabulary expands you should start thinking about approching this material in a creative manner. One such approach can be found with the VI chord which often arises from a creative decision to create a descending bass line in 3rds via a I-VI-IV (or II6) progression. Leading to V43 or vii6 continues the decending 3rds into a cadence. This concept of a logical movement of a single voice yielding a resultant progression is an excellent compositional technique.

2. VI-II (decending 5ths)
a.  We saw very early in Thoery 1 that the 2nd partial of the overtone series is an 8va + P5 above the fundamental. As such the 5th as both a scale degree (^5) and as a place of harmony (V, V7 +inv.) has a very strong gravitational effect. As such we could expect any motion representative of a 5th to have a similar gravitational weight. In fact, we have already seen that the progression II5-V5 is very strong as its bass drops a P5 (or rises by the inversion, a P4) With the progression VI-II we now have a second progression that yields a similar bass motion.

b. In minor, the lowered ^6 yields a d5 between the bass of VI and II and thus the gravitational effect is significantly reduced.

Insert 11-3-4

3. VI5 Moving to V from above.
a. Although VI is used quite frequently as an interior intermediate harmony that leads to another intermediate harmony, it can serve as the final intermediate harmony leading directly to V. When it does so, the ^6 of the VI5 resolves down to the ^5 of V.

b. In minor, one must be careful to avoid doubling the lowered ^6. In order to avoid Parallel 8vas from ^6-^5 a doulbed ^6 would require an awkward leap of an A2.

IV6

4. Phrygian Cadence
a.  Like the relationship between II6 & IV, IV6 and VI share two common tones and can be used in very similar situations.

b.  In minor, the appearance of a IV6 immediately prior to a V is called a Phrygian cadence. Like the VI in minor, one must be very careful of ¶8va, 5th and Aug 2nds. Thus its a good idea to double the chordal 3rd.

5. IV6-V: Other Possibilities
a.  Essentially, IV6 can also be used as an intermediate harmony. It substitutes well for IV5 and thus can lead to and from II and II6. Its commonality with VI allows it to interact as a middle intermediate harmony and (in the case of the Phrygian Cadence) a final intermediate harmony.

b.  As would be expected with the intermediate harmonies, IV6 leads well to Cad64.

6. IV6 & VI: ascending to V6
a.  In major both IV6 and VI lead well to V6 as ^6 moves easily to LT^7. Such a progession softens the cadential effect of the root position V5

b.  As we have seen in our demonstrations avoiding the doubling of the root of VI or IV6 in minor, leading from IV6 or VI natural minor yields a lowered ^6 moving to a raised LT^7 and produces an A2. Thus such a move should be avoided.

c. In melodic minor, the ^6 moves easily to ^7 and therefore IV6 leads well to V6. However, the lowered ^3 of VI in minor will yield unpleasant results.

7. Harmonic Syntax
a.  Perhaps H&VL is a bit too restrictive here. The main idea is this: When a series of intermediate harmonies is desired, its best, when possible, to let the bass move in decending 3rds or decending 5ths as it will strengthen the drive towards the cadence