Category: musicTheory2

Gauldin lists tonicizations by strength: tonicization transient modulation modulation In Chapter 22, we’re concerned with modulations – particularly to the key of the Dominant (when starting in a major key), and to the relative minor when starting in minor. To call something a true modulation, the passage typically needs to include a cadence, and last…

Things to study (and know!) for the midterm exam on Friday (3/9): Figured bass. Know the standard stuff, what the accidentals mean, slashes, etc., relating figured bass symbols to Roman numeral harmony, etc. The figured bass part writing will NOT include secondary dominant/leading-tone chords. Alterations will be restricted to raising the leading tone in minor.…

A few odds and ends from today’s (3/2) lecture: Secondary dominants can resolve deceptively, just like a V7 – vi progression in a key. A deceptive resolution of a secondary dominant will resolve to a harmony with a root a third lower than the target temporary tonic. The most common secondary dominant deceptive progression is…

Addition to Previous Post on Secondary Dominants I left out an important step in the process for identifying and resolving secondary dominants when given the secondary dominant (without a resolution). Here’s the list of steps. Number 3 is new. If you’re given a secondary dominant without a Roman numeral (like #2), use the following process:…

Hierarchy (high to low) Key Change Modulation Tonicization Chromatic inflection/embellishment Chromatic Inflection/Embellishment Any chromatic alteration of a pitch that does not fit the current tonal area (loosely, the “key”). Absent a “higher” function, chromatic inflections are just embellishments (chromatic neighbor, chromatic passing tone). Later on we’ll learn about “borrowed” chords, or modal mixture. Tonicization Tonicization…