AP Music Theory Unit 6: Harmony and Voice Leading III - Embellishments, Motives and Melodic Devices

Nonchord Tones

  • note that does not belong to a chord

    • passing tone (P or PT)

      • approached by step, left by step in the same direction

      • unaccented

        • on weak part of the beat

      • neighbor tone (N or NN for neighbor note)

        • approached by step and left by step in different directions

        • always unaccented

        • double neighbor (neighbor group)

          • combo of upper and lower neighbors

  • anticipation (ANT)

    • note from the next chord gets held over into the previous chord

    • incomplete neighbors

      • combo of a step and a leap

        • escape tone (E or ET)

          • step followed by a leap in opposite directions

          • unaccented

        • appoggiatura (APP)

          • leap followed by a step in the opposite direction

          • accented

Suspensions

  • note from previous chord is held over into the next

  • do not double the note of resolute

    • one exception

  • three parts

    • prep

      • previous chord

      • always consonant

    • suspension

      • on the beat

      • dissonant

      • w one exception

    • resolution

      • off the beat

      • consonant

      • always down by step

        • if it resolves upwards it is a retardation

  • anticipations when soprano had too much coffee and comes in early

  • suspensions when had no coffee and comes in late

Types of Suspension

  • 4-3

    • suspended note forms a 4th above thebass

    • the resolving note forms a 3rd above the bass

      • 3rd is note of resolution

        • most common type

  • 9-8

    • root is the note of the resolution

      • the only instance where the note of resolution is doubled

  • 7-6

    • embellishments 1st inversion triads

  • 2-3

    • bass suspension

  • 6-5

    • consonant suspension

      • weaker effect bc both suspension and resolution are consonant

Motifs, Phrases and Sentences

Motif: small musical idea

Phrase: musical thought

  • ends in a cadence

  • usually played in one “breath”

Sentence: way of building phrases from motifs

  • consists of basic idea which is comprised of one or more motifs

The Period

  • group of two phrases

    • antecedent

      • question

    • consequence

      • answer

  • parallel period

    • both phrases begin w similar ideas

  • contrasting period

    • both phrases begin w different ideas

Melodic Devices

  • retrograde

  • inversion

  • retrograde inversion

  • diminution

  • augmentation

  • sequence

  • mode change

  • fragmentation

  • extension

  • compression

Other Terms

Prefix: extension at the beginning of the phrase

Cadential extension: extension at the end of a phase

  • usually after a DC or IAC

Ellison: when the end of a phrase overlaps w the beginning of another

Visual Score Analysis

Form: analysis of phrase structure (i.e periods, etc)

  • most common is aaba sequence

  • abab sequences

  • abac sequences

  • coda/codetta closing few measures of a composition after the PAC

    • not part of the main thematic but added for closure