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 Introduction
This unique edition of the Bach chorales is the end result of my own journey into these
works to glean what I could from the great master in order to improve myself as a musician
and gain deeper insights into harmony and composition as well. From the first time I heard
some of these chorales played in my music theory course at a local community college I
have had an ongoing fascination with the logic and beauty of them. That which began as a
simple notion towards deepening my understanding eventually grew into this book. When
I consider that countless musicians have dissected these works for more than 200 years
and the mania about all things regarding J.S. Bach I was surprised to find that there was
nothing similar to this book already in existence.

After analyzing all 413 chorales I can truly say that my initial, if simple, objectives at musical
self-improvement have been succeeded many times over. Often, many of my suppositions
about harmony were turned upside down (or perhaps rightside up) and I was forced to alter
or abandon some of the ideas about music that I had adapted from my own formal music
education. J.S. Bach’s adherence to the now outdated thorough-bass style of composition
resulted in viewpoints and musical solutions that are most often lost on this generation of
musicians who are trained under an altogether different paradigm. It is my hope that this
edition might, in some small way, provoke a re-examination of the older style in order to
regain some of the lost gems of our collective musical heritage.

I am certain that anyone who undertakes a similar course of study will be rewarded with
a breadth of musical wisdom that can only enhance one’s understanding not only of the
music of J.S. Bach but all the great musicians who followed after him. I am also certain
that this book will make the course of study considerably easier for the eager musician to
take as the seemingly endless insights and principles are made plain here with hundreds of
notes and helpful pointers. My objective in presenting this edition is to allow the modern
musician an easier path into understanding the musical logic and methods of J.S. Bach.
Anyone who wishes to truly master the depths of harmony will find no better resource than
the chorales of J.S. Bach.

I wish to express my gratitude to the many people who have helped me in the process
of bringing this book to completion. I am especially indebted to John Ferrara, Dr. Clive
Henery, Mark Martufi, Dr. Donald Miller, and Dr. Douglas Rubio for giving me advice,
encouragement, insight, and a generous portion of their valuable time.

Soli Deo Gloria

Christopher Czarnecki
 Preface
This study of the chorales of J.S. Bach is intended to be The logic of Bach’s “musical science,” which might not be
limited to the harmony and harmonic vocabulary of this so evident to the modern musician, has much to do with
great master using modern chord symbols and harmonic the preparation, application, and resolution of various
analysis. The nature of 18th-century music however ne- dissonances1 and the many ingenious ways that he brings
cessitates that the reader not neglect the melodic content resolution out of tension. The treatises and essays that
at the expense of the beauty of the harmony. Bach’s music I have listed above will give the earnest music student
is so intertwined with the warp of melodic content and a more precise understanding of the paradigm and pro-
the woof of the resulting harmonies that it is often dif- cesses of Baroque-era music that Bach operated in than
ficult, if not impossible, to separate the two. Keeping this simply approaching it from a modern viewpoint.
in mind, this study is not meant to be a comprehensive
treatment of the thorough-bass system that Bach cham- I should point out to the musicology enthusiasts that the
pioned, but rather a contemporary look at these master- large number of chorales in this collection unfortunately
pieces in terms that the modern musician will find more do not reflect newfound treasure that was unearthed in
accessible than the largely lost art of figured bass. some private collection but rather are the result of com-
bining existing Bach collections and finding a few items
In the course of preparing this study it became evident that were not found in all of them. In the interest of thor-
that several of the chords and other recurring harmonic oughness I decided to include all of the different pieces
phenomena that Bach uses throughout these chorales even when the variations were somewhat minor.
simply do not fit so nicely into the common modern
chord notational system or the typical Roman numeral
harmonic analysis. These chords and harmonic phenom- The Modern Chord Symbols
ena have been marked by an asterisk and helpful foot- Over the past several decades the modern musician
notes. A brief explanation of these items can be found has developed and used a form of notational shorthand
throughout the remainder of this preface. whereby the chord that is intended to be played at any
given time is notated above the staff. I have followed this
The music student who wishes to delve further into the practice here as a way of easily identifying the harmony
treatment of Bach’s harmonic aesthetic is strongly urged as it progresses. However, since there is not necessarily a
to study C.P.E. Bach’s treatise Essay on the True Art of universally accepted standardized chord symbol system, I
Playing Keyboard Instruments. It is from this book that have borrowed freely from across the modern notational
most of the unusual insights about Bach’s music that spectrum in order to form a cohesive and consistent sys-
would otherwise have eluded a 21st century person were tem in this collection. The symbols that I have selected
gained. I would also point the diligent reader to Johann for use are based on brevity as well as clarity, because
Philip Kirnberger’s book The Art of Strict Musical Com- Bach’s harmonic rhythm can at times change on every
position. Kirnberger was one of J.S. Bach’s more famous 16th note, and the horizontal space that is available is
students, and although he began to incorporate Rameau’s not always conducive to such notation. In a few instances
ideas into his work (which Bach rejected), there are many I have had to invent symbols in order to articulate what
helpful items to be found there. I would be remiss if I Bach is doing that the modern system has no form for.
didn’t include F.T. Arnold’s massive two volume work The symbols I employ in this text are explained below.
The Art of Accompaniment from a Thorough-Bass as a most
excellent source of information regarding 17th-and 18th- Triads
century music. Bach himself is known to have kept a copy Shown below is a C Major scale harmonized with the at-
of the music theory book Thorough-Bass Accompaniment tendant triad for each note in the scale. The Major Triads
according to Johann David Heinichen in his personal li- (found on the 1st, 4th, and 5th degree of the scale) are
brary, which is also a useful resource on this topic. Fi- simply designated with the corresponding capital letter.
nally, Bach’s method of thorough-bass instruction has
been preserved for us in the book J.S. Bach’s Precepts and The Minor Triads (found on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th de-
Principles for Playing the Thorough-Bass or Accompanying gree) are distinguished by including a lower case “m” after
in Four Parts, which was allegedly dictated by Bach to the upper case letter. The Diminished Triad (occurring
one of his students at Leipzig. only on the 7th degree in major) has a small circle “º” at-
tached directly after the upper case letter.
1
Bach considered any intervals above the bass other than octaves, perfect 5ths (in most
situations), 3rds, and 6ths (in most situations) to be dissonances. See (6), (7) & (8) in C.P.E.
Bach’s Chord Catalogue below.
v
 ww www www
b
ww nwww
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Melodic Minor

b b c nw nww w
c w w w
w nwww nwwww nwww nww
C Dm Em F G Am B°

b nw
CmΔ Dm7 E +Δ F7 G7 AØ BØ

& www ww ww w w & www ww w

Here is the same concept as applied to the minor modes:
There are seven different types of seventh chords found
Eb Ab Bb
bb b c Cm Dw° w Fm w www
Natural Minor

w w w
in the family of Major and Minor Scales. They are clari-
w
www ww ww ww w w
Gm

&
fied in the list below.
CΔ Major Seventh (1,3,5,7)

Cm7
b b
b
Minor Seventh (1, 3,5, 7)

Eb+ Fm Ab
www
Harmonic Minor

bb c w w
C7

w w
b b b
Dominant Seventh (1,3,5, 7)

b n w n w n
Cm D° G B°

& www www ww ww w w b b bb

CØ Diminished-Minor Seventh (1, 3, 5, 7)
C°7
b
Diminished Seventh (1, 3, 5, 7)
CmΔ
i
Minor-Major Seventh (1, 3,5,7)

Cm Dm Eb+
bb b c nw nw nwwF nwwG nAwww° nBwww°
Melodic Minor C+Δ Augmented-Major Seventh (1,3, 5,7)

& www ww ww w w
The reader should note that I have used the symbol “Δ” to
indicate whenever a Major Seventh is present in a chord.
The last two chords on the list above are somewhat rare
Notice that the only new type of symbol appears at the in the chorales, but they do occur at times (usually in a
3rd degree of the Melodic and Harmonic Minor scales. passing chord/passing note situation).
The Augmented Triad (which only appears on the 3rd
degree of these minor scale types) is notated by placing a Ninth Chords
“+” after the upper case note designation. Bach uses several situations where a ninth is present in
the chord construction. The first and most common type
The four types of triadic chord symbols are: of this sort is what might be considered an “Add9 Chord”
to the modern reader. It is simply a triad with an added
b
C Major (1,3,5)
ninth. (ex. C,E,G,D or 1,3,5,9) This particular chord is
b b
Cm Minor (1, 3,5)
most often a part of a 9-8 suspension in the chorales. It
i
C° Diminished (1, 3, 5) should be noted that, although it may seem odd, Bach
C+ Augmented (1,3, 5) has no aversion to use a minor ninth (m9) at times in his
Seventh Chords music. When the minor ninth is present I have notated
The symbols for the seventh chords that appear in the the difference in the chord symbol by placing a flat in
common scales are illustrated in a like manner below: front of the nine. In order to save space I have abbreviated
these (add9) symbols by replacing the word “add” with a

www www
Major

www ww
& c www wwww wwww
forward slash (/):

ww w Em/b9
CΔ Dm7 Em7 FΔ G7 Am7 BØ

w w w ww ww
& c www
C/9 Dm/9

w Ex.
ww ww etc.

b bΔ
ww wwb
Natural Minor

b b c w ww www www ww ww ww
b ww
Cm7 DØ E Δ Fm7 Gm7 A B7 The second common type of chord found in the chorales

& www ww w w
that employs an interval of a ninth in its construction is
very much like the modern type of “Ninth Chord” that is
used today. In Bach’s time this chord was called a “Nine-
Seven Chord” (see C.P.E. Bach’s Chord Catalogue be-
b
ww
bΔ
www
Harmonic Minor

b www nwwww
low). In this situation, the chord consists of a root note,

& b b c nwwww wwww nwww ww

B°7

nw
CmΔ DØ E +Δ Fm7 G7 A
a third, a seventh, and a ninth. (ex. C,E,B,D or 1,3,7,9)

w w This note grouping occurs most often in root position but

there are times when other inversions can be found in the
chorales. Because the fifth is not included in this forma
vi
tion, there are no Diminished or Augmented types of this this type of situation. Here are some examples as I have
chord. The chord symbols for the most commonly used symbolized them in the chorales:
types of Ninth Chords are illustrated in C Major below: i
Ex. F °/11 G/11 Am/11 D/11 F+/11

ww
b
ww www www wwb
ww ww ww
CM9 Dm9 Em7 9 FM9 G9 Am9 Bm7 9 Often in the chorales, as the result of passing tones in

c
& ww ww ww ww w w
the bass voice, one can find a situation where a triad in
the upper three voices is on top of a non-harmonic tone
in the bass. Rather than not symbolizing such instances,
I have opted to notate this common phenomenon by us-
There are two other types of “Ninth Chords” that Bach ing a “Slash Chord” type of symbol wherein the triad is
uses in his music (the Nine-Six Chord and the Nine- named followed by a forward slash “/ ” followed by the
Four Chord). Below I give some examples of the symbol letter note that is in the bass. (ex. C/F, Dm/G, Em/A, etc.)
for a “Nine-Four Chord.” This chord can be viewed as a
triad with the octave and the third replaced by the ninth To summarize the use of slashes in my symbolism, if
and the fourth respectively. It can be the result of pass- there is a number after the slash (ex. C/9, Dm/9, G/11,
ing tones, or of an appoggiatura, or the dissonant nine Am/11, etc.) it means there is a triad with an added dis-
and four can be prepared according to the strict form of a sonant tone in one of the upper three voices. However, if
suspension (or, in this case, a double suspension). In strict there is a letter after the slash (ex. C/F, Dm/G, Em/A,
form, the nine and the four resolve down by step into the etc.) it means there is a triad formed in the upper three
consonant chord tones. voices and the dissonant tone is in the bass voice.
Ex. Nine-Four Chord (1,4,5,9)

D/ b9sus Eb/9sus
Finally, chords appearing on the beat that are incomplete,
A/9sus B/9sus F/9sus
or which might be considered as non-harmonic passing
I describe the Nine-Six Chord and the Nine-Four Chord tones, or which might otherwise merit closer inspection
in greater detail below (in C.P.E. Bach’s Chord Cata- are enclosed in parenthesis. (ex. (Em) (G7) (Dm7), etc.)
logue). They require special attention as they are not so Passing type chords that occur in between beats that con-
familiar in our time. tain dissonances that do not immediately resolve or have
the characteristics mentioned in the sentence above I have
Miscellaneous Chord Symbol Items surrounded with square brackets.
The most common type of suspension that occurs in the Ex. Passing and Non-Resolving type Chords
chorales is the 4-3 suspension where the fourth above the [C/11] [Dm7] [(Dm7)] [Dm9] [(Dm9)] [G7sus] [Asus] [(A)]
root position bass resolves to the third. Such a chord can
be referred to in our times as a “Sus4 Chord.” Typically, Roman Numeral Analysis
the Major or Minor Triad is arrived at upon resolution Similar to the divergent systems of chord symbol short-
although C.P.E. Bach allows for the Diminished Triad to hand described above, there are different schools of
be treated in this way as well (see The Five-Four Chord thought about Roman numeral harmonic analysis as well.
below). I have notated the symbol by shortening it as il- There is no standardized system of Roman numeral har-
lustrated here: monic analysis and most pedagogical systems differ on
Ex. Suspension (1,4,5) points here and there. While persons and schools may
Bbsus
have their preferred system of harmonic analysis, my
Gsus Asus Csus Dsus
own observation is that no system is an air-tight model
On a few occasions Bach executes a 4-3 suspension where of the music that is being analyzed and is only an ap-
both the third and the fourth are present simultaneously. proximation. Therefore, I have borrowed across various
So one could say that the note grouping would be (1,3,4,5 systems and arrived at what I consider to be a consistent
or, perhaps more clearly 1,3,5,11). In these instances I and sensible solution in this text. The main differences
have opted to symbolize such a harmonic grouping as between the system of harmonic analysis found in this
an “Add11 Chord” (/11) for lack of a better designation. text and in some which are already in use are to be found
Also, this same grouping of notes occurs more frequently in the treatment (here) of the minor modes. I have chosen
in 1st inversion. I have designated these chords as “/11” to emphasize the differences (chromatic and otherwise)
chords as well. These types of chords occur most fre- that are found in the 3 types of minor keys as compared
quently as passing tones/non-resolving chords but, due to against the major key. This can be seen clearly when we
the figured-bass practice, C.P.E. Bach names them Nine- once again compare a parallel major and minor key as
Six Chords (see below). Any type of triad can be used in shown on the following page.
vii
 ished Chords). In the same manner as the Modern Chord
Symbols (above), I have used the “+” symbol to indicate
an Augmented type of chord and I have used the “º” sym-
bol to indicate a Diminished type of chord.

Here is an example showing the parallel modes with both

the chord symbols and the Roman numeral system:

w www
Major

c w w w
w w
& www www ww ww w w
C F G Am B°
Dm Em

I ii iii IV V vi vii°

Eb Ab b
bb b c w w
Natural Minor

w w
www www www www ww ww w
Cm D° B Fm Gm

&
bi b b
ii° III iv v VI VII

b b
w
Harmonic Minor

bb b c w w w
www www nwww www nww ww nw
Cm D°
E + Fm G A B°

&
bi b
ii° III+ iv V VI vii°

Cm Dm Eb+
bb b c nw nw nwwF nwwG nAwww° nBwww°
Melodic Minor

With the major scale/key considered as the archetype

against which the minor scales/keys are compared, we & www ww ww w w
can see that the alterations in root notes include bIII , b
bVI , and bVII . When you see these “flattened” Roman i ii° III+ IV V vi° vii°
numerals you will know that the passage has been inter- The great majority of chord types in the chorales con-
preted as being in some kind of a minor mode. There sist of Triads and Seventh Chords. Each of these chords
are instances in the chorales where Bach moves back and can appear in any different inversion at any given time.
forth between different minor modes within the same Shown directly below are examples of the Roman nu-
chorale and even within the same phrase at times. This meral analysis for the inversions of Triads and Seventh
type of ambiguity, I felt, was easiest to interpret by using Chords (for the tonic C Major Chord).
the Roman numeral system illustrated above, as it allows

www
Inversions for Triads

ww
for a clear delineation between the different chord roots

& c wwww
C

ww w
of the sixth and seventh degrees in particular. Another
way of thinking about the “flatted” Roman numerals is
to consider the root note of a flat three, a flat six, or a
flat seven Roman numeral to be the equivalent of a mi- I I6 6
I
4
nor third, a minor sixth, or a minor seventh interval away Root Position 1st Inv. 2nd Inv.

from the tonic note, respectively.

w
Inversions for Seventh Chords

& c wwww wwww wwww www

CΔ
The reader should find it useful that I have used up-
per case Roman numerals to indicate chords containing
a major third in their construction (Major Chords and
Augmented Chords) and I have used lower case Roman 7
I 6
5 I 4
I
3 I4
2
numerals to indicate when the minor third is present in Root Position 1st Inv. 2nd Inv. 3rd Inv.

the chord construction (in Minor Chords and Dimin-

viii
 Em/b9
ww
Harmonic Analysis for Add9 Chords chords. I have notated the harmonic analysis in the way

ww
& c www
C/9 Dm/9 illustrated below.

w ww ww etc.
Ex. Secondary Dominant & Leading Tone Harmonic Analysis

V/V V56/V vii°/V viiØ65/V

I9 ii9 iii9
Finally, I have not followed the common modern systems
in notating the suspension when it is found in the bass
b
ww wwb
Harmonic Analysis for Ninth Chords

ww ww www ww
voice. Whereas many would notate a suspension in the

w ww
CM9 Dm9 Em7 9 FM9 G9 Am9 Bm7 9

c w ww ww
bass as (for example) V 2-3, I have followed the thorough-

& w ww ww w
w
bass figuring shown below. See: “The Five-Two Chord.”

˙˙ ˙˙
F Csus

c
& ˙˙ ˙œ œ
I79 ii79 iii79 IV79 V 97 vi97 vii79 C

I have made note of many instances of non-resolving/

passing chords that are often discounted as non-harmon-
ic passing tones. These can easily be spotted in most in- IV I25 I6
stances as they often include three figures stacked on top
of each other in the analysis. The modern student may Thorough-Bass Notes
wish to simply disregard these as most modern music At the outset of this section it should be noted that, as
theory courses consider them practically inconsequential. useful and common as the above-mentioned Roman
I have, after much deliberation, decided to include them numeral harmonic analysis is today, Bach simply did
because (a) J.S. Bach himself considered it necessary for not conceive of his music in that way.2 The notion of
his own students to become familiar with even the most the “fundamental bass” of any given chord inversion is
unusual figures (b) C.P.E. Bach mentions such items in an idea that comes from the writings of Jean Philippe
his Essay (even if only briefly) and (c) they are so preva- Rameau (1683-1764). Bach was aware of the emerging
lent in the chorales and function in such a consistent way new system of thought but thoroughly rejected it in favor
that I felt they ought to be noted. of the older thorough-bass system which he considered
to be superior. As such, it appears that Bach was not so
In the spirit of point (a) (above), I have also included the much concerned with what the fundamental root note
3 tiered figures that describe the many accented passing was at any given time but rather what note was sounding
tones that are found in the chorales. In short, the major- in the bass and what were the particular intervals above
ity (but not all) of the three-tiered figures point out items that bass note.
that are usually considered as some sort of an accented
passing tone (or non-harmonic passing tone, or non- Being that thorough-bass is a largely forgotten and by-
chord tone). I have borrowed entirely from the thorough- passed system long since replaced by Rameau’s theoreti-
bass system to arrive at these figures. cal conception, I had initially intended to simply include
the basic Roman numeral harmonic analysis (which is
Here are some of the most common examples of three- based on Rameau’s theory). However, the more I delved
tiered harmonic analysis figures: into Bach’s chorales the more I found that the modern

w ˙ ww www
system of harmonic analysis was not always adequate to
Dm C/F C/D

c w
the task of explaining certain areas in the chorales. So, at

& ˙˙˙ ˙˙
[C/11] C C

˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
the risk of over complicating this study, I have included
various notes and thorough-bass figures throughout this
text which help to explain many of the otherwise baffling
ii I 96 I75 I6 I74 I or obscure harmonic ideas contained here. As mentioned
3 2 2
above, these unusual items are often marked by a three-
Also, as I mentioned in the preceding Modern Chord tiered figuration or with an asterisk with notes on the
Symbol notes section (above), I have indicated what I bottom of the page, or both.
consider to be incomplete chords by placing the Roman
numerals in parenthesis as well.

Bach frequently uses altered tones in his chorales that re- 2

See William J. Mitchell, ed., introduction to Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard
sult in secondary dominant and secondary leading tone Instruments, by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, trans. Mitchell (W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.,
1949), pp. 17-19.
ix
 C.P.E. Bach’s Chord Catalogue an octave (8va). All three types of fourth can be used in
this chord (diminished, perfect, and augmented). Both
Perhaps the best way to gain an appreciation as to how the minor and the major sixth can be used. Since even
Bach looked at chords is to examine his son C.P.E. Bach’s the perfect fourth was considered by Bach to be a disso-
list of chords and their explanation as found in his book nance, all three types of them ought to be resolved (unless
Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments, as used as a passing interval). The perfect and diminished
he is the direct inheritor of the Bach school of composi- fourths resolve downward by step. The augmented fourth
tion (which he calls “the learned style,” as opposed to the frequently resolves upward by step. Only the diminished
newer galant style that was then beginning to supersede fourth requires preparation.
the older form). I have recreated a very brief summary of
the list below. It is instructive to the modern musician 6) The Four-Three Chord 3
4

to consider how much differently Bach conceived of his Here, in modern terms, is the 2nd inversion seventh chord.
chords (and their usage) as you look closely at how he This chord can consist of the minor or major third (m3,
classified and described his chords. Once again, keep in M3), the perfect or augmented fourth (P4, A4), and the
mind that the intervals that are mentioned below are all minor, major, or augmented sixth (m6, M6, A6). In this
to be considered in relation to what interval is above the category Bach includes the Major Seventh Chord, the
bass note. Also, when considering intervals, the simple Minor Seventh Chord, the Dominant Seventh Chord,
and the compound intervals often have the same mean- the Diminished Seventh Chord, the Half-Diminished
ing and are interchangeable in the descriptions that fol- (Seventh) Chord, and the Augmented Sixth Chord of
low. (ex. M2 = M9; M6 = M13, etc.) the “French” variety. In this type of chord the third is
treated as the dissonance and the fourth does not have
1) The Triad the kind of restraints placed on it as mentioned above.
This consists of only major and minor chords in root po- This becomes obvious to the modern musician when we
sition. It is comprised of a root, third, and fifth (m3 or consider that the third above the bass is actually the sev-
M3, P5, 8va). This is considered to be the most perfect enth of the seventh chord and the fourth above the bass
consonant chord. Diminished and/or Augmented triads is actually the root of the chord. Generally the third—be-
are considered “unnatural” and are not included here. ing considered dissonant here—ought to be prepared and
They are classified below. resolved down by step. The fourth either remains in place
or ascends (especially in a Dominant Seventh Chord).
2) The Chord of the Sixth 6
This chord is the 1st inversion triad. It may consist of a 7) The Six-Five Chord 5
6

minor sixth or a major sixth (m6, M6). It is comprised The first inversion seventh chord. This chord can consist of
entirely of consonances (third, sixth, and octave). Inter- a minor or major third (m3, M3), a diminished or perfect
estingly, the Diminished and Augmented triads in 1st fifth (d5, P5), and a minor, major, or augmented sixth (m6,
inversion could be included in this category. M6, A6). Similar to above, the fifth above the bass is treated
as a dissonance when it is accompanied with a sixth. As
3) The Diminished Triad such, the fifth ought to be prepared and progress downward
This chord contains a minor third (m3), a diminished fifth by step (unless the chord is a passing chord). In modern
(d5), and an octave (8va). It is essentially a diminished triad terms, the fifth above the bass in a first inversion seventh
in root position. Since the diminished fifth interval is a dis- chord is the seventh of the chord. The Augmented Sixth of
sonance, C.P.E. Bach states that it should be prepared in the “German” variety is included among this type of chord.
the previous chord and resolve downward by step.
4
8) The Chord of the Second 2
4) The Augmented Triad In modern terms this chord is the third inversion sev-
The Augmented triad consists of a major third (M3), an enth chord. This chord may consist of a minor, major,
augmented fifth (A5), and an octave (8va). The augment- or augmented second (m2, M2, A2), a perfect fourth or
ed fifth, being a dissonance, should in most instances be augmented fourth (P4, A4), and a minor sixth or major
prepared. The resolution of the augmented fifth is up- sixth (m6, M6). The bass is considered the dissonant tone
ward by step. and can be prepared or not (if used as a passing tone), and
6 should always resolve down by step. Once again, in con-
5) The Six-Four Chord 4 temporary terms, the bass note here is the seventh of the
The Six-Four chord is the second inversion triad. It seventh chord. The second above the bass can move freely
contains a fourth (d4, P4, A4), a sixth (m6, M6), and as it is considered to be a consonance in this instance.
x
 5
9) The Five-Two Chord 2 Three-Two Chord showing two types of resolution
C (G7) C C (Em7) Am

& c œœ ˙˙ œœ
This is a suspended chord with the suspension in the bass,

œ œ œ ˙
G7 G
which like all chords of the second, is considered disso-
nant. It resolves downward by step into a first inversion
œ œ ˙
œ ˙
triad. This chord is comprised of a major second (M2)
and a perfect fifth (P5). Either of these intervals may be
œ
?c œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ ˙
doubled. Although Bach uses many of these chords in
his chorales, they were already considered somewhat ar-
chaic by the end of his life. On occasion, in instances with ˙
accented passing tones, an augmented fifth can be used
with this chord. (see page v) I6 V 53 V 43 I I iii 53 V 6 vi
2 2

5
4
10) The Five-Four-Two Chord 2 12) The Chord of the Seventh 7
Here is a Dominant Seventh Suspended Chord with Here is the root position seventh chord. All types of sev-
the suspension in the bass. The intervals above the bass enth chords are included in this category. C.P.E. Bach
are the major second (M2), the perfect fourth (P4), and notes three different forms of figuration regarding this
the perfect fifth (P5). The dissonant bass tone should be chord: (1) consisting of a root, a third, a fifth, and a sev-
prepared in the previous chord and resolve downward by enth; (2) consisting of a root, a third, a seventh, and an
step into a first inversion Dominant Seventh Chord. This octave; and (3) consisting of a root, a doubled third, and a
figure also appears frequently in a non-resolving/passing seventh. The seventh is considered a dissonance. It may or
function in the chorales. may not be prepared. In most instances (except for the ma-
Five-Four-Two Chord in strict form jor seventh interval) the seventh should resolve downward.

w ˙ ˙
C (G7) C C.P.E. Bach includes the 7-6 suspension in this category.
G7

? c www ˙˙œ ˙˙
? c ww ww ww
Chord Of The Seventh - 3 different types

œ
Dm7 (Dm7) (Dm7)

ww w
7 7 7

w ww
3 3 3
8
5
I V 54 V 65 I 3
2

Five-Four-Two Chord as the result of a passing tone in the bass

A typical 7-6 suspension

? c œœ # œœ ˙˙
Em (B7) Em
i
G (Am7) G
œ
& c œ œœ# œ ˙˙
B7
F°

œ # œ œœ # œ ˙˙
œ ˙
?c œ
œ œ ˙
i6 V 54 V 65 i
2

5
11) The Three-Two Chord 32
This chord can be considered a second inversion seventh I
-
vii°7 6 I6
chord with the resolution of the bass retarded (delayed 7 7
from above). This rare chord consists of a minor or ma- 13) The Seven-Six Chord 6-5 6-5 4-3

jor second (m2, M2), a minor or major third (m3, M3), This interesting chord exists in two forms, according to
and a perfect fifth or augmented fifth (P5, A5). Again, C.P.E. Bach. One consists of a major third (M3), a minor
the bass is the dissonant and should be tied (or prepared), or major sixth (m6 or M6), and a minor seventh (m7).
and resolves by descending stepwise. C.P.E. Bach also al- The second form is the same except it contains a perfect
lows for this chord as the result of an ‘irregular’ (accented) fourth (P4) instead of the above-mentioned major third.
passing tone wherein the dissonant bass resolves down- Normally, both the the sixth (thirteenth) and the fourth
ward by step into a second inversion seventh chord. This ought to be present in the preceding chord and resolve
type of chord is used sparingly in the chorales. Although down by step forming a Dominant Seventh Chord in
this figure often resolves into a second inversion seventh root position. The modern musician who is somewhat
chord it is not required to do so in all instances. I have familiar with jazz harmony might recognize this chord
given an example of each treatment of this figure below. as a Dominant Thirteenth Chord and the Dominant
xi
 1.
Ach bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ
(Abide With Us, Lord Jesus Christ)
B.A 39, N° 1/BWV 253

i i
i
U
(F m7)

### j
A E A G A D A E Fm D

œ
c œœ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ
n œœ œ œœ œ œœ
G Ø

œœ œ œ
D GΔ E7 [A]

& œ˙ .
œ œ
œ œ œ œ œœ œ
#
? ## c œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ # œœ œœ œ ˙ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
u
I V6 I [ I 7-6 IV 7
V I] I V 7
vi I 64 IV 6
viiØ

i i
i
### œ
A Esus E
UA A E C Fm B

œ œœ œœ
4

œ œ œœ
[(A)] E7 E7 F m7 B7

& œ œ . œ œ ˙˙ ..
œ œœ n œ # œœ
J
œ œ œ œ
? # # # œœ œ œœ œ œœ œœ ˙. œ #œ
œ
œ œ œ
. œ
u̇ 7
I I6 V 4 I(6)4 V 7
I V [ V 6/ii ii 7
V
I

i i i i
Di° U
### j œ œ U̇
E (F m7) E C Fm D A Fm A Esus E A

œ œœ # œœ
7 [A] [E7sus] [(A)]

œœœ œ
E7

& œœ . œ œœ n œœ .
œ . œ ˙ .. œ œ œ œ
#œ œ
J J
? # # # œœ œœ n œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ ˙ .
œ œ œ .
u u̇
I6 vii°7-6 V/vi vi I64 IV 6 I V 74 vi 6 vi I6 V4 I(6)4 V 7
I] 3 I
 100.
Es woll’ uns Gott genädig sein
(May God Be Gracious To Us)
B.A. 39, N° 58/BWV 311

i i i i i i i
œ œ œ U̇ Œ œœ œ œ
i i
F Bm F m Em F m Em (D) A ° Bm F F7 Bm C° D G

## c œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ
D

œ #œ #œ œ #˙ Œ œ nœ nœ
DΔ C° (G Ø) Bm7 GΔ

& œ œ œ œœ

#
? ## c œ œ œ n œ
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙ Œ # œœ œœ œ œ œ
œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ
u Œ
[ V/vi vi iii6 I34 ii6 iii I6 ii vii°6 I ] (viØ43 ) vii°6 i V [ V 65/vi vi 7
vii°6 I6 IV 7

i i i i i i i
A D D °7 Em F Fm G D A F Bm Em F Bm
i A ° Bm A ° (Bm)
## U U
.. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
5

œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ # œ # œ œ œ œ
A7 G°

œœ œ œœ œœ œœ ˙ .
Em7 Em7 Bm/9

& œ œ ˙. œ œ œœ œœ œ
œ œœ nœ œ #˙. œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ
? ## œ œ n œ œ œ
.. œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ # œ œ
#œ œ ˙. œ #œ
œ
u œ œ
V 6 4
I ii vii°/ii ii
2
7 7
V/vi ] v bVI6 bIII bVII 7
V6 i 9
iv6
u V i vi°6 vii°6 i6 vii°6 ( i )
V
i i i i i i
# # œœ œ Uœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
A°
i i A° A °7
i
U
Bm F B7 E Fm E E A A7 D A Fm E
i
œ
œ œœ œœ œœ n œ œ
E7 D Bm
10

œ
F7 [(F m7)] E7 [(Bm7)] (A7) AΔ D° E7 F7

& œ œ œ nœ #œ œ œ œ œœ n œœ œ œ
œ œœ œ œ #œ
? # # # œœ œ # œœ # œœ œ n œœ # œœ œœ # œ œ œ œ œ # œ œœ # œ # œ œ œ
œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ
u œ #œ
u
vii° V i 6
5 V [ V56/V V 7
vi IV V 6 6
V I 6 6
V /IV IV
5 I vi ] vii°6/IV IV vii°6 i vii°7 V 65

i i i
i U i i
U i
Bm/9⁕ A E D A G D D Am Em F 7 Bm F F
14
## œ ° œ G

œœ œ
G

œ n œœ
Fm [(G m7)]

& œ #œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ˙ œ ˙œ
Ø [(Em7)]

œ œœ œ œ ˙œ . œ œ
œ
œ œ œ œœ œ œ
? ## œ œœ # œœ œœ œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ #œ œ
œ œ #œ œ œ nœ œ #œ œ
.
u
i [ vii° I
9 6 6
V IV 6 viiØ I vi6 ][ I6 V V ii6 ] iv46 V 65 i
u̇ V
i64
⁕ 14 “Chord Of The Ninth” -Both C.P.E. Bach and Kirnberger (1721-1783) mention this type of resolution of the “Add9” chord. They notate the figure this way: 9-8
5-6
 300.
O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
(O Innocent Lamb Of God)
B.A. 39, 148/BWV 401

Bb/9sus⁕
U
F F C7 F Dm7 G C Am
b b
œ œ ˙œ
&b c œ œ œ œœ œ
[C7sus] Dm7 F7 B B Δ C G7

œ œœ œ b œ œœ œ n œ œ œ œ œ

?b c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ u
I V 74 I6 vi43 V65/IV IV 9-8
4-3
7
V 42 I6 V 64 vi65 V/V 7
V iii
3

(Em7) Bb
U
Dm/9 F F C F F Dm G7 A

.. œ
3

& b œœ œ œœ œ œ œœ
Dm C [Dm/E] Am FΔ Dm7

œœ œ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ
(C7)

œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
? b œœ œœ œ œ œœ .. œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ nœ #œ
- -
œ u
vi 9 8 V7 6 I vi74 IV 6 IV I64 iii6 [ IV IV vi V 65 V6/ii
2 V 7
I

Bb
b i U
Dm Dm7 C F7 F Csus F F7 Gm/9 Dsus Gm
U œ œ œœ
œ œœ œ œœ . œ œ œœ # œ œœ
6

& b œœ œ œ
C G G7 EØ C7sus C B F °7 Gm D G7

œ n œ œ b œ œ nœ œ œ œ J u
J J œ
œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ nœ
? b œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
œ bœ œ u œ nœ
u
ii I 6
ii 6
5 V 4
2 I] V56/IV IV viiØ43 I V 54 V 52 V 6 I IV64 V/IV
7 [ vii°7 i 9-8 V 4-3 ] ii6 V56/V
2

C Dm/9 (Em7) F/9 F

b Dm Gm7 C F
U
& b œœ œ n œœ œœ œ œ œœ
9 C7 Dm C F [F/B ] [F ] F C7

œ˙
FΔ

œ ˙ œ ˙˙ .
.
nœ œ œ œ œ œ
?b œ œ œ
œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ ˙.
œ œ œœœ œ œ œ
.
V 7 -
vi 9 8 V7 6
-
I9 8
- 7
I6 6
4 I75 I64 vi
6
5 I 7
ii V u̇
2
⁕ 1 “Nine-Four Chord” -A chord consisting of a 9th, 5th, and 4th above the bass note. The fifth may be diminished, perfect, or augmented. The 4th should always be a P4. I
The 9 and 4 are prepared here (in the preceding chord) and resolve down according to form.