Technical Study: Bach Chorale

Adding melodic decoration

Starter Activity
Is there anything that needs further

explanation?
Would you like to revise any aspects?

Learning Objectives
To develop understanding of Bachs chorale

style.
To be able to add appropriate melodic
decoration when completing chorales.

Melodic Decoration
What types of melodic decoration can you

add to a harmonisation?
To what voices can you add melodic
decoration?
What should you consider when deciding what
type and where to include decoration?

Auxiliary Notes
Lie a step above or below between two

harmony notes of the same pitch.

Identify the auxiliary notes in the following
passage. Are they upper or lower?

Suspensions
A suspension occurs at a change of chord when

one part remains on a note form the old chord,

creating a clash, and then falls be step to a note
of the new chord (resolution).
Note the suspension in the following examples:

Appoggiaturas
An appoggiatura resembles a suspension in that it

consists of a dissonance followed by a resolution on a

weaker beat.
The word appoggiatura means leaning note. Describing
the way the dissonance leans onto its resolution.
Study the appoggiaturas in the following passage. What
is the difference between these and suspensions?

Anticipations
An anticipation is a weak-beat dissonance that

anticipates the next harmony note by introducing

it before the rest of the chord.
Anticipations are usually short and usually
involve sounding the tonic in the melody
immediately before chord I in a perfect cadence:

Melodic Decoration

Study the given chorale opening.

What types of melodic decoration are used?
Identify the key of each phrase, and the cadences

implied.

Melodic Decoration
From the given opening we can deduce that

this chorale, like many others, should contain

quaver movement on most beats.
What beats should NEVER be decorated?
Study this complete chorale. Identify the
types of decoration used: mark each passing
note PN; accented passing note AN;
suspension S; auxiliary AUX; and anticipations
A.

Melodic Decoration

Class Work
Harmonise and decorate the following chorale

melody.

Directed Study
Complete the given worksheet.