Theory 149 007 Lecture September 5th, 2025

Meter is the organization of pulses into a regular pattern of strong and weak beats that you hear (not just what’s written).
Time signature determines how music is notated, and how the heard meter relates to the written notation.
Meter comes from both grouping (how beats are grouped) and subdivision (how beats are subdivided).
Hypermeter: larger-scale sense of meter across phrases/measures; you can feel one or more metrical levels at once.
Key takeaway: there isn’t a single fixed strong-beat pattern in isolation; you perceive meter by how you group or subdivide a stream of pulses.

$2+2+4,\; 4+4+8,\; 1+1+2,\; 8+8+16$

The sentence (a basic unit of form) consists of: Basic idea + Continuation + Cadence.
Typical sentence shape: $2+2+4$ (two measures for the basic idea, two for continuation, four for the cadence area) or more generally a two-half structure with a cadence.
Cadence: a point of rest/resolution at the end of a unit; marks the end of a continuation.
Variation exists: not every piece follows a single rigid shape; other proportional forms (e.g., four-plus-four-plus-eight) express the same idea at different scales.
In analysis, think in terms of halves and continuations rather than a fixed template.

Use letters (A, B, etc.) to label repeating units or motives.
Prime (′) indicates an altered or slightly different form of a motive.
Multiple levels of motive: a small pattern may repeat within a larger pattern (e.g., A B A B vs A A B B).
There can be many valid form diagrams; the goal is to communicate the shape/structure clearly, not to find a single “correct” diagram.
Cadences can be added to indicate ends of phrases within the diagram.
A sentence typically contains a basic idea, a continuation, and ends with a cadence; larger form can show a first half/second half structure.

Figured bass = bass note (base) + figures (intervals above the base) that guide the upper voices (realization).
Default triad without figures is the 5-3 triad (i.e., a root-position triad).
Realization = choosing the actual upper notes to fit the base and figures.
Chromaticism: accidentals apply to the figures; if a note is not in the key signature, the figure will indicate the alteration.
Lonley accidentals: an accidental by itself on a figure refers to altering the third above the base (e.g., a sharp on 3).
Slash through a number (e.g., 6 with a slash) signals alteration to that interval (e.g., raise 6).
A dash between numbers (e.g., 7–6) signals melodic movement within the upper voices (e.g., 7 resolving to 6 in the same voice).
7–6 can indicate a suspension: the seventh voice-leading note resolves down to the sixth.
6 by itself often stands for 6–3 unless context says otherwise; 6–4 has its own notational considerations and is not simply abbreviated as 4–3.
The long line under a figure sequence indicates the right-hand upper voices stay stationary while the bass moves (voice-leading simplification for readability).

Full figuration (7–3–6–3, etc.) is always valid; when in doubt, use full figuration for clarity.
Realizations should aim for readable voice-leading: avoid overly tedious line-by-line figures when the upper voices can remain static while the bass moves.
If a note in the bass is chromaticly altered or if the figure changes, reflect those changes in the realized upper voices accordingly.
When you see a lonely accidental, apply it only to the specified interval (e.g., sharp on 3 means the 3rd above the base is sharpened).
The context (key signature, chromaticism) determines how the figures are realized; the figures themselves do not encode all chromatic changes.

Cadence: harmonic/resting point that ends a phrase or section.
Continuation: the portion of the sentence that connects the basic idea to the cadence.
Basic idea: first segment of a sentence (the initial motive).
Realization: the upper-voice composition that actualizes the figured bass above the base.
Suspension: a voice-leading pattern where a note (e.g., 7) resolves down (e.g., to 6) while the bass holds or moves.
Lonley accidental: an accidental attached to a single interval above the bass (modifies only that interval).
Line/long line: a notation cue that upper voices remain static while the bass moves for readability.
Prime notation (′): marks an altered or related motive; used to indicate a variation of a motive without creating a new label.

If unsure, write the full figuration to communicate all tones and voices; readability over brevity.
Use repeat signs in form diagrams to show large-scale repetition.
Treat 6 as shorthand for 6–3; treat 6–4 with explicit context (often not abbreviated as 4–3).
Use dash 7–6 to indicate a suspension/resolution in one voice.
Chromatic alterations on figures are written as alterations on the corresponding interval (e.g., sharp 3, sharp 4, etc.).