Tonicization & Modulation

Homework: Workbook Ed 3 Chapter 14: Pg 101#a, 101#b102#h, 105#4, 112#1

Homework: Workbook Ed 4 Chapter 15 pg 113-114 , 116, 126-127, 128-129

OR

Homework: Workbook Chapter 14:
Pg 101#a, 101#b, 102#h, 112#1

AND

Write the following 3 short compositions: Submit a pdf of your Finale notation score and n mp3 of a piano rendering to musictheory2@gmail.com. You may also render your compositions using strings from the garritan library included with Finale.

1. In Major: 8 bars all half notes in 4 voices that contain the following useages:

1. bar 1-2 Establish the tonic with Plagal Cadence followed by an applied V42 to a V6 chord. (V42>V6)
2. Bar 3-4 When you arrive at the V6 continue transform it into a V7 in any position you wish and lead back to I.
3. Bar 5-6 write any syntax we have explored in class. The syntax should lead through a cadential 64 into a deceptive cadence that utilizes a V7
4. Bar 7-8 Let the deceptive cadence act as your pivot and modulate to the dominant key area through an applied V65 of V (V65>5)

2. Take what you wrote in 1 above and vary the harmonic rhythm so that your 4 part harmony uses only quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes.

3. using #2 above and mindful of 1st and 2nd species counterpoint, modify your soprano line to include 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 notes or triplets

Tonicization & Modulation

1.  Nontonic Key Areas :
a. Everything we have done so far assumes a central, fixed tonic. We have seen the function of the Tonic, intermediary harmonies and cadential harmonies. All of these harmonic elements have gravitated around a central tone we have called the tonic. However, in many, if not most compositions, that central tone can change causing us to hear a new and different tonic with a new and different central tone.

2.  Temporary tonics
a. Tonicization = Temporary new tonic area.
b. Moduclation = Longer more significant new key area
c. NOTE: Often these two terms will be used interchangably

3. Tonicizing V in Major
a.    As you might expect, the force of the harmonic series comes into play and the Dominant V becomes a very frequent area of tonicization and modulation in Major. In Minor, the existance of the lowered ^6 creates a pull towards III as the new tonic.

4. Applied Chords
a. H&VL is a little obscure here. The idea is that any major or minor triad can be preceded by its own functional dominant (V or Vii). Such a preceding chord intensifies the non-tonic chord and is called an applied dominant. The target of the applied dominant will, at the minimum acquire the color of a tonic triad.

IMPORTANT NOMENCLATURE:
Like many texts H&VL designates an altered tone by using # to indicaate that it is raised and b to indicate it is lowered. I find this terribly misleading. The ^4 of Bb Major is Eb. Raising it a half step turns it into an Enat. Calling that Enat a ^#4 doesnt make sense to me as there is no sharp. Unfortunately this is standard and commonly accepted. Be aware: In class I will use "+" to indicate a raised tone and "-" to indicate a lowered tone. Thus the Enat in Bb = ^+4

5. ^+4 as leading tone to V
a.  We have seen that an extremely strong elements of the V chord is the LT. In fact, it has such a strong pull that we have required that its half step relationship to the tonic be maintained in minor by raising the ^7 of natural minor and insisting that we never double the LT for fear of forcing ¶8. When we use an applied dominant to the V chord we therefore must create the leading tone to the V chord in the applied dominant. Thus all applied dominants to V will contain a ^+4 that acts as a LT and can not be doubled.

THINK ABOUT IT.......

6. Larger Tonicizations and modulations
a.  Sometimes, in the course of a modulatory passage, we see the initial appearance of the new tonic without a preceding applied dominant. In these cases, the applied dominant is often found after the new tonic. It should be noted that a convincing modulation includes not only a well placed applied dominant but a melodic line that gravitates to the new tonic as well as a motivic design that punctuates the new tonic.

7. The Pivot Chord
a.  One way to get a smooth transition between tonal areas within a modulation is to precede the applied dominant with a chord that appears - unaltered- in both the original key and the key to which you modulate. For example, in the key of C the I and VI chords are the same exact spelling as the IV and II chords in the Dominant key of G.

8. Modulation via 5-6
a.  Since we know that I and VI exist as IV and II in the dominant a simple progression I5-VI6 is a convincing way to modulate to the tonic. (Note that we saw this 5-6 concept in the notes from /theory1a_notes_11a.html ) Since the progression yields a static bass, it can be used to immediately set the I chord in motion towards a modulation.

9&10. Cadencing in the new Key & Returning to the tonic.
a.  Although the pivot chords are used to move affectively to the dominant key area, they do not always have to move directly to a dominant cadence and can be used as their functioning chord in the original tonic key

b. If the modulation has been brief, the return to the dominant does not necessarily require significant preparation. That is, it may not be necessary to restate a pivot back to the original tonic as a return to the dominant of the original tonic may provide enough direction.

11. V as a key area and musical form

PLEASE NOTE: this section in H&VL assumes a basic understanding of musical form. I have elaborated on this section below to include the necessary terminology in its most basic form:

a.  Phrase: "In its most frequent manifestations, it is a passage of 4-8 bars culminating in a more or less definite cadence, and possessing as a consequence some degree of completeness within itself."

b. Antecedent-Consequent: Often two phrases appear in immediate proximity to one another. The first phrase may end with a semi cadence (V) while the second phrase may end in an authentic cadence (I). When these two phrases share structural or motivic design they are deemed to have an Antecedent-Consequent relationship.

c. Period: When two phrases appear together as a structural unit, they are called a period Often a period consists of an Antecedent-Consequent relationship

©2007 Andy Brick

d. H&VL basically states that both tonicization and modulation can be used to differentiate one structural unit from another.

1. A tonicized V can appear at the end of an antecedent phrase. This creates a very strong sense of return to the original I in the consequent phrase.

2. A consequent phrase may end on an authentic cadence in the dominant. Thereby sustaining the tension created by the tonicization of the antecedent semi-cadence.

12. Harmonizing modulating melodies; realizing modulating basses.

a. H&VL sort of states the obvious here. Since a complete figured bass will contain all the instructions necessary to realize a tonicization its much easier to realize a modulating figured bass than to harmonize a modulation in a melody. When harmonizing a melody look to accidentals in the melody as an indication of a tonicization or modulation

13. Writing phrase groups that tonicize V

a. The excercize present in this section of H&VL is excellent. We will do many of them in class and you should do a few on your own. As presented in H&VL, you should write 4 bar phrases that

1. Establish the initial tonic in bars 1-2
2. A pivot chord introduces the key change in bar 3
3. The phrase ends in an authentic cadence in bars 3-4
4. The new tonic is transformed back into a V in bars 5-6
5. The initial tonic returns and leads to a final cadence in bars 7-8