MUTH 12300 (Theory 1)

Class 7 (W3.1)

Topics: Phrase-Opening Paradigms (Tonic and Dominant)

Patterns in Phrase Openings

At the beginning of a piece, and also at the beginning of most phrases, composers in the
common-practice era wanted the tonic to be clear. The best way to establish a tonic is to
juxtapose it with the dominant-seventh chord. This provides both the TI-DO motion and the
tritone resolution (TI/FA resolving to the root and third of the tonic chord). The seventh of the
V7 is not essential but removes any ambiguity regarding the meaning of the triads. Consider that
a C major triad and a G major triad can be I and V in C major, but also IV and I in G major.
Adding an F-natural to the G chord clarifies the tonality.

Many phrases begin with embellished versions of simple voice-leading patterns connecting
tonic to dominant and returning to tonic. We will add extra harmonic variety to these
progressions in the future, but for now let’s concentrate on the outer voices of openings with
only tonic and dominant chords. These types of progressions came to represent the idea of
opening energy, especially when the melodic ideas rise, accumulate rhythmic intensity, or
generate growth through a sense of development (as in the sentence). Below, I’ve listed some
bass patterns with harmonic implications, and then some common melodic structures.

Bass Patterns

I V7 I I V65 I I V43 I I V43 I6 I V42 I6 I V I6

I6 V7 I I6 V65 I I6 V43 I I6 V43 I6 I6 V42 I6 I6 V I6

I have only shown basslines involving root position and first inversion tonic chords—in general,
second inversion chords are unstable and thus not the best to represent the stability of tonic in
the opening of a phrase. Where RE and TI are in the bass, the seventh could be readily
removed. I’ve shown SOL-MI bass motions as pure V to I6, since V7 to I6 is not preferred (SOL
and FA both moving to MI/ME creates a bad octave effect).
Melodic Patterns

This is not an exhaustive list, but it has many of the most common motions. All the melodic
outlines on the first line begin on DO, with the more actively rising lines at the end. Likewise
for line two, but with MI as a launching point. Finally, the third line shows melodic structures
that begin on SOL. The last two examples on the third line show melodies that suggest a
compound line (two separate voices) by using the tritone in the V7 chord. In the first, DO moves
to TI and then the melody leaps to FA (another element in the V7). FA then resolves down to MI
—when the FA appears, another voice probably takes over the TI and resolves it to DO. Both
resolutions can be presented in the melody, as shown in the final example. Here, the FA leaps to
TI which resolves normally to DO. Then, DO progresses up to MI, providing the resolution of
FA as well.

Two-Voice Opening Paradigms

On the next page, I’ve combined some of these ideas into contrapuntal frameworks for opening
progressions and provided a few standard names for some of the more common progressions.
We will develop some of these models in class together, but you can do it on your own. Just
find combinations of the bass patterns and melodies that work together. Essentially, you need to
avoid parallel fifths and octaves (octaves are the main issue) and be sure to resolve all leading
tones and sevenths. After you’ve tried building a few of these two-voice frameworks on your
own, check the list that follows.
Root Progression

I V7 I I V7 I I V7 I I V7 I

The only melody that is uncommon over the root position bassline is MI/ME-FA-SOL, since
the seventh rises. To set that melody, see the 10s progression below.

P/N N/N CT/N N/N

I V65 I I V65 I I V65 I I V65 I

The names on top refer to the types of motions in the top and lower voice. So, in the first one,
the melody does a passing motion (P) from DO to MI, while the bass does lower neighbor
motion (N) decorating DO with TI. In the top voice, the RE is not a passing tone—it is a chord
tone in the V chord. But since the entire progression is prolonging tonic, the elements of the V
chord in the middle can be understood as notes that simply move lines from the initial tonic to
the second tonic and is so doing confirm the status of the tonic triad as the main chord of the
phrase, section, or complete composition. Thus, all the V65 chords in this line are “Neighbor
Chords” to the tonic.

X (Voice-exchange) N/P 10s P/P

I V43 I6 I V43 I6 I V43 I6 I V43 I6

The first and third examples on this line are especially common. In the voice exchange, the
outer voices switch their chord tones—DO begins in the bass but ends up in the melody, while
MI begins in the melody but ends up in the bass. Voice exchanges are found in many different
musical settings, not only at the opening of phrases. The 10s progression has parallel tenths
between the outer voices. This is the only situation where the seventh of V7 will rise.
 4
2 to 6

I V42 I6 I V42 I6 I V42 I6 I V42 I6

In general, seventh chords with the seventh in the bass (42 chords) will resolve to first inversion
chords. The falling seventh in the bass naturally settles on the third of a chord when the root
moves by fifth (which it usually does in seventh chord resolutions). There are exceptions, but
the sequence 42 to 6 is very common (ii42 usually resolves to V6, etc.).

Analysis of Week 2 Examples

Beethoven: Piano Sonata Op. 2, No. 1 I (mm. 1-8)—first example on the sheet
Beethoven: Piano Sonata Op. 2, No. 1 II (mm. 1-8)—second example on the sheet
Schubert: Impromptu Op. 142, No. 2 (mm. 1-16)—third example on the sheet
Beethoven: Piano Sonata Op. 2, No. 3 II (mm. 1-11)—fifth example on sheet
Mozart: Piano Sonata K333 III (mm. 1-8)—sixth example on the sheet
Beethoven: Piano Sonata Op. 26 I (mm. 1-16)—seventh example on the sheet

In these phrases, we will find some of the models listed above and some that are not on the list.
Also, we will find these basic structures greatly embellished. Embellishments make the music
more beautiful and interesting, but they need not obscure our perception of the underlying
architecture of these musical gestures. Especially interesting is the Schubert example, where the
ornaments almost generate parallel octaves between the outer voices but escape due to the
underlying sound N/P voice-leading model.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITY

Analysis of themes

SHORT HOMEWORK #3

Writing phrase-opening paradigms and analysis of two phrase openings.