Musicianship Final

Monophonic

single-line texture, or melody without accompaniment

homophonic

Melody with accompaniment

polyphonic

having more than one main voice with shared importance

voice leading

The ways in which chords are produced by the motions of individual musical lines.

First Species Counterpoint

each note in one voice is paired with a single note in the other voice, using only consonant intervals

note-to-note or 1:1 counterpoint

Second Species Counterpoint

one voice has two notes for every single note in the other voice; permits consonances and passing tones if they follow the rules of voice-leading; some authors allow neighbor tones 2:1 counterpoint

Third Species Counterpoint

Four tones for each tone in the cantus firmus

Fourth Species Counterpoint

Counterpoint in which one voice is rhythmically displaced by ties across the bar; characterized by its use of suspensions.

fifth species counterpoint (florid counterpoint)

combining elements of the previous species—using whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, suspensions, passing notes, and neighbor tones—all in one line.

counterpoint

musical texture that sets two or more lines of music so that the independent lines togetehr create acceptable harmony

cantus firmus

a fixed melody that forms the foundation for polyphonic composition, providing a stable framework around which contrapuntal lines are woven.

conjunct

moves primarily by step

disjunct

moves primarily by skip or leap

step, skip, leap

half-step, whole-step; thirds (maj or min); bigger than thirds

consonant

major or minor thirds in stepwise motion, m2 or M2

4 types of motion defined

contrary- two parts move in opposite directions; preferred for independent balance; parallel- both parts move in same direction by same interval; similar- same direction, differing interval, permitted except when approaching a perfect interval where upper moves by step; oblique- one part repeats or sustains a single pitch, other moves up by leap, skip, or step. acceptable but not desired

perfect consonances

PU, P5, P8

dissonance

harmonic intervals 2, 4 A4, d5, 7 and 9, only allowed in second species; must fall on weak beat. approached by step from the consonant interval

passing tone

Approached by step, left by step in same direction. Can be accented or unaccented; fills in a skip by stepwise motion

consonant skips

motions by a third; larger consonant motions would be leaps. melodic embellishments made when both half notes of the skip form a consonant harmonic interval with the cantus

neighbor tone

A nonharmonic tone which steps below (lower neighbor) or above (upper neighbor) the chord tones.

Cambiata

Contrapuntal embellishment, involving an apparent skip from a dissonance, that combines passing and neighboring motion. step, skip, step, step

double neighbor tones

combo of successive upper and lower neighbors around the same pitch, step, skip, step, step

suspension

rhythmic embellishment where a consonance is held over to the next beat, creating a dissonance with the new harmony. dissonance is resolved down by step creating another consonant interval

Upper Voice Suspensions

4-3, 7-6, 9-8

Lower voice suspensions

2/3

consonant suspension

a rhythmic embellishment where a consonance is held over to the next beat forming a new consonance with the cantus or other voices. typically do not need to resolve down by step

breaking species

a disruption to the normal pattern of ties across the bar in fourth species

tendency tones

A chord member or scale degree whose dissonant relation to the surrounding tones requires a particular resolution in common practice style (i.e., chordal sevenths resolve down, and leading tones resolve up).

phrase

a basic unit of musical thought, similar to a sentence with a beginning, middle, and end. In tonal music, a phrase must end with a cadence

basic phrase

A conclusive phrase that consists of an opening tonic area (T), an optional predominant area (PD), a dominant area (D), and tonic closure (T, a cadence on I). Written in contextual analysis as T-PD-D-T, beneath Roman numerals (vertical analysis).

contrapuntal vs. strong dominants

Each voice maintains its own identity. Emphasis on voice-leading, imitation, and independence of lines. Often found in fugues, inventions, and Renaissance or Baroque music.

Harmony results from the interaction of the lines rather than chord progressions alone; includes the leading tone (scale degree 7) and often the seventh (V⁷), creating a strong pull to the tonic. Emphasizes functional harmony—especially common in Classical and Romantic styles. Progressions like V-I or V⁷-I are essential in defining cadences (e.g., authentic cadence).

Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC)

An authentic cadence weakened by placing the I or V harmony in inversion or ending with the soprano on a scale degree other than 1

Perfect Authentic Cadence (PAC)

A strong conclusive cadence in which a root-position V(7) progresses to a root-position I, and the soprano moves from 2 or 7 to 1.

half cadence

inconclusive cadence that ends on the dominant chord without moving to the tonic

voice crossing

In four-part writing, one voice written higher than the part above it or lower than the part below it; considered poor voice-leading in common-practice SATB style.

overlapping

related to voice crossing, occurs over two chords not at the same time. one voice crosses into others range at an adjacent chord

Predominant Function (PD)

harmonics that lead to the dominant. strong predominant appears directly before the cadence

figured bass

Baroque practice consisting of an independent bass line that often includes numerals indicating the harmony to be supplied by the performer.

Cadential 6/4

brief expanision of dominant area, approached from PD harmony; I6/4 to V to I, precedes the dominant, often at a cadence, embellishes dominant. when writing always double the bass

Pedal 6/4 (neighboring 6/4)

pedal is sustained or repeated bass notes; neighbor refers to motion in the upper voices

Arpeggiating 6/4

Prolongs a single harmony by skipping to the fifth of the chord the bass

passing 6/4

another strategy for expanding tonic area; I-I6 or I6-I; does not function as a dominant due to its weak placement; created with passing and neighbor tones

deceptive cadence

V-vi(VI) or V7-vi(VI); by extension, resolution from V ar a cadence to any nontonic chord that is not expected

plagal cadence

IV-I, iv-i; the amen cadence

phrygian cadence

iv6-V in minor; a type of half cadence, named for its characteristic bass line: the hald step-descent from b6^ to 5^

mediant triads

iii or III; not typically in common practice music; can act as tonic expansion, but mroe common to use submediant (vi or VI

parallel 6/3 chords

Contrapuntal motion of parallel thirds and sixths, forming a series of first-inversion chords moving down or up by step.

embellishing tones

pitches that are not part of the underlying harmonic structure but that add dissonance and interest to the music. decorations

Retardations (RET)

similar to suspensions but resolves up by a step. usually in authentic cadence

chromatic neighbor tone

A non-diatonic half-step neighbor that embellishes a chord tone.

chromatic passing tone

A non-diatonic note (requiring an accidental) connecting two chord tones, one whole step apart.

incomplete neighbor (appoggiatura)

embellishing dissonance that may be approached by a leap or skip, than resolves like a neighbor tone by step in opposite direction

incomplete neighbor (escape tone)

embellishing dissonance may be approached by step than skip or leap away in opposite direction

anticipations

unaccented, off beat/weakbeat and are usually dissonant. they don't need to resolve. one voice arrives early in higher voice

pedal points (PED)

a note held for several measures while harmonies change above it. typically prolongs a single harmony

contexts for viio6, viio3, and viio7 chords

contrapuntal dominant function chords built on the leading tone; similar to but weaker than actual V or V7 chords; can substitute for dominant when a weaker dominant is preferable; prolongs tonic area

voice leading 4/2 chords

a seventh chord in third inversion, meaning the seventh is in the bass. Roman numeral shorthand: e.g., V⁴₂, ii⁴₂, vii°⁷⁴₂, etc.

Motive

smallest recognizable musical idea. characterized by pitches, contours, and/or rhythm

rhythmic motifs

a motive that maintains its rhythm but changes its contour and internal structure

contour motive

A motive that maintains its contour, or musical shape, but changes its intervals; its rhythm may or may not be altered.

three ways to catagorize motive

rhythmic, melodic, harmonic

5 ways in which motives can be transformed while retaining their identity

transposed- played starting on a different scale degree

inversion- reverse the direction of each diatonic interval

extension- repeats a portion of a motive to make it longer

truncated- cuts off end of motive to make it shorter

fragmentation- takes a small portion of the motive and varies it

phrase vs motive

phrase is a complete musical thought or statement while motive is an idea or fragment

the period

a music unit often consisting of two phrases; generally the first phrase ends with a HC and the second a PAC

antecedect

the first phrase of a period, ends with a HC (usually)

consequent

the second phrase of a period, ends with a PAC (usually)

phrase diagrams

each unique phrase is labeled with lower-case letters starting at beginning of alphabet; phrases that are similar but not identical recieve a prime marker or superscripts (a', b', c') or (a1, a2, a3)

parallel period

melodic material that begin the two halves of the periods are similar (a, a')

contrasting period

period in which phrase beginnings are not similar (a, b)

Three-phrase period

a period consisting of three phrases that belong together with weak-weak-strong cadences (a a b, a b b', a b a', or abc)

double period

a group of four phrases in which the only PAC appears at the conclusion of the fourth phrase. The first two phrases

form the antecedent and the second two form the consequent

phrase group

Three or more phrases with tonal and/or thematic design elements that group them together as a unit.

phrase rhythm

The interaction of hypermeter and phrase structure. strong-weak-strong-weak or similar; often aligned with phrase structure

hypermeter

A high-level metric grouping that interprets groups of measures as though they were groups of beats within a single measure.

secondary dominants

Chords that act like dominants in their spelling and resolution, but resolve to a scale degree and harmony other than the tonic. analyzed as V/V or V of V; always major triads or seventh chords

Tonicization

The result when a chord becomes a temporary tonic by means of a secondary, or applied, dominant. The key of the passage does not really change, and the temporary tonic soon returns to its normal functional role in the primary key.

modulations

a change of key, usually confirmed by a PAC;likely if passage continues in the new key; there is an aithentic cadence in the new key; presence of predominant ahrmony in new key

Tonicized Half Cadence

A half cadence preceded by a secondary dominant (or diminished seventh chord).

cross relations

chromatic alteration of a pitch in one voice part immediately after the diatonic version has sounded in another voice; when a secondary dominant is preceded by one of the predominant chords (iv or ii)