Lesson TTT Other Diatonic Sequences Introduction: In Lesson SSS we discussed the fundamentals of diatonic sequences and examined

d the most common type: those in which the harmonies descend by root motion of a fifth. In this lesson, we will discuss several other varieties of diatonic sequences. Descending- and ascending-5 6 sequences (sequences based on thirds and seconds): Sequences in which the harmonic units move by seconds or thirds run a greater risk of creating parallel fifths and octaves than those that move by fifths. or this reason, composers often include intervening chords to break up the parallel motion. !he following excerpt from "eethoven sonata shows a descending#third sequence in which intervening chords appear in first inversion: $xample % &L. "eethoven, 'iano Sonata in $ (a)or, *p. %+,, (vt. I, mm. %#-.:

$ach step in the chain of descending thirds appears on the second beat of its measure: I / vi / I0. "etween each step, however, the chord roots move down by fifth: 01 is inserted between I and vi, iii1 between vi and I0. !hese secondary chords2along with the weak metric placement and melodic figuration2obscure the parallel fifths between each step in the sequence. 3e will refer to such sequences as 456th78nd9 sequences to reflect the root motion from one chord to the next, but it is important to remember that bass will not reflect this if some chords appear in inversion. ote: !he labeling system used here shows the root motion from one chord in a sequence to the next. !he arrows indicate the direction. !hat is, in a 456th78nd9 sequence, the root motion first descends by a fourth &as in I to 0 or 01. and then ascends by a second &as in 0 to vi.. :eep in mind that the overall root motion of a 456th78nd9 sequence, for example, is by descending third. $ach step simply contains an intervening chord. &!his system, while not commonly used, does provide a common#sense way of describing the harmonic action of a sequence.. $xample 8 &reduction of L. "eethoven, 'iano Sonata in $ (a)or, *p. %+,, (vt. I, mm. %#-.:

;s this reduction shows, alternating between root position and first inversion produces a desirable effect: a stepwise descending bassline. !he intervening chords &01 and iii1. break up the parallel fifths that would normally result from successive descending third root motions. !he result is a series of fifths

suspended to become sixths as the bass steps down on the downbeat of each measure. ;s the second level of <oman numeral analysis shows, this sequence prolongs the initial tonic as I moves to I1. !he descending 4= / 19 technique was a popular contrapuntal strategy in the <enaissance and was continually used in later music. In the following excerpt, the order of harmonies &I / 0 / vi / iii / I0 / I. is virtually identical to $xample %, though here they all appear in root position: $xample - &>. 'achelbel, ?anon in @, mm. %#8.:

!he entirety of 'achelbelAs famous ?anon in @ is built entirely around the sequence presented in the first two measures. "eginning with the initial tonic chord, this descending#third sequence continues until the next I chord on beat two of the second measure. $ach step in the chain of descending thirds appears on a metrically strong beat &I / vi / I0., with intervening chords on the weak beats. "ecause each of the chords appears in root position, it is very easy to see the 456th78nd9 root motion. !he following reduction removes the inner voices to clarify the voiceleading: $xample 6 &reduction of >. 'achelbel, ?anon in @, mm. %#8.:

"etween the outer voices we find tenths on the strong beats alternating with fifths on the weak beats. !he intervening tenths obscure the parallel fifths. Like $xample %, this sequence prolongs the initial tonic harmony &as shown by the second level of <oman numeral analysis.. ;ctivity !!!.+%: ;s we saw in $xample 6, 'achelbelAs ?anon in @ finds the outer voices alternating between tenths and fifths. "ut take note of the inner voices reintroduced below &arranged in S;!" for ease of reading.. 3hat LI' is formed by the 4tenor9 and 4alto9 of this reductionB

C;nswer: =#1. <esponse if correct: 4?orrectD9 <esponse if incorrect: 4Incorrect. !ry again.9E $xample = &four#voice reduction of >. 'achelbel, ?anon in @, mm. %#8.:

Fote of the LI' appearing between the 4tenor9 and 4alto.9 *n the first downbeat, the alto &;. forms a fifth above the tenor &@.. !he ; is held as the tenor steps down to ?, forming an oblique 4= / 19 interval progression. !his pattern then repeats twice more. !his inner#voice interval progression is the same one we saw in $xample 8: a descending 4= / 19 pattern. "ecause this pattern is so recogniGable, sequences such as the one found in $xample = are often referred to as root-position variants of the descending 4= / 19 technique. In the following excerpt from the fourth of 0ivaldiAs Four Seasons concertos, first#inversion chords mediate between each step of an ascending#second sequence: $xample 1 &;. 0ivaldi, 0iolin ?oncerto in %-.: (inor, *p. H, no. 6 &43inter9., (vt. II, mm %%#

Like sequences based on thirds, ascending#second sequences often make use of intervening chords to break up parallel fifths and octaves. !he I0 chord on the downbeat of m. %8 initiates the sequence &I0 / 0 / vi. with intervening chords on the weak beats. !he intervening chords appear in first inversion, preserving the stepwise motion of the bass. @espite the stepwise bass line, we refer to sequences of this sort as 45-rd76th9 &read: down a third, up a fourth., summariGing the root motion from one chord to the next. !he following reduction reveals the outer#voice interval progression and how the intervening chords obscure the parallel fifths:

$xample I &reduction of ;. 0ivaldi, 0iolin ?oncerto in II, mm %%#%-.:

(inor, *p. H, no. 6 &43inter9., (vt.

!he ascending 4= / 19 motion seen in this reduction is remarkably similar to what we saw in $xample 8. !he only difference is that here the voices ascend instead of descend. &In this case, the sequence prolongs the predominant harmony.. *nce again, the intervening sixths obscure the parallel fifths by approaching them through oblique motion. Such interval progressions are often referred to as ascending 4= / 19 LI's. !he following excerpt begins with an ascending#third sequence starting with the 0I chord in the first measure: $xample H &;. ?orelli, Sonata no. %% from Sonate da ?amera a !re, *p. 6, ;llemanda, mm. %# =.:

!his ascending#third sequence features an ascending stepwise line in the uppermost voice. ;gain, intervening chords break up the inevitable parallel fifths. Fote that while parallel octaves do appear on the downbeats between the bass and the middle voice, they quickly skip up to tenths on the second beat of each measure. Looking at the reduction, we can see how the mediating chords break up the parallel fifths: $xample , &reduction of ;. ?orelli, Sonata no. %% from Sonate da ?amera a !re, *p. 6, ;llemanda, mm. 8#6.:

Instead of moving directly from one fifth to the next on the second beat of each measure, thirds intervene on the downbeats, changing the parallel motion to contrary motion. !his results in the ascending stepwise motion of the entire upper line. If we consider the partially concealed inner voice, however, we find a familiar pattern: $xample %+ &reduction of ;. ?orelli, Sonata no. %% from Sonate da ?amera a !re, *p. 6, ;llemanda, mm. 8#6.:

?onsider the interval progression formed by the inner voice and the upper voice. *n the anacrusis to m. 8, we find the upper voice &@. a fifth above the inner voice &J.. !he J is held into m. 8 while the upper voice steps up to $b forming a sixth with the inner voice. !he pattern then repeats. !his is the same LI' we saw in $xample ID In this case, however, each of the harmonies appears in root position. Kou can think of this pattern as a root#position variant of the ascending 4= / 19 technique. Fote as well that in this case, instead of prolonging a single harmony, this sequence prolongs the progression from i to iiI. !scending-"i"th sequences: ;scending#fifth sequences are far less common than their descending#fifth counterparts. Fonetheless, they do appear with some frequency and have a decidedly different effect. ?onsider the following example:

$xample %% &;. ?orelli, Sonata no. %% from Sonate da ?amera a !re, *p. 6, ?orrente, mm. %H# 8I.:

!he melodic figure in m. 8+ is passed back and forth between the bass and uppermost voice with every change in harmony. Starting with the tonic chord in m. 8+, the harmonic progression ascends by fifth in each subsequent measure: I / 0 / ii / vi. In m. 86, the root of the chord is again a fifth higher, but the pattern is broken by the altered melodic line in the upper voice. Fote as well that m. 86 introduces " natural. !hat chord, initially heard as 0Lvi in $b ma)or, turns out to be an auxiliary sonority prolonging the ?#minor chord of m. 8-, which in light of the ensuing cadence in J minor is retroactively interpreted as iv in that key. ;ctivity !!!.+8: "eginning with the I chord in m. 8+ and going through the vi1 chord in m. 8-, what is the LI' between the outer voicesB &Mint: Look at the notes on the downbeat of each measure, ignoring, for the moment, the decorations that appear above and below..

C;nswer: -#1. <esponse if correct: 4?orrectD9 <esponse if incorrect: 4Incorrect. &Mint: !he primary notes of this LI' are found on the downbeats of each measure. @onAt be distracted by the decorative eighth notes that appear above and below later on in each measure..9E Looking at the outer#voiceleading reduction, we again see a familiar interval progression: $xample %8 &reduction of ;. ?orelli, Sonata no. %% from Sonate da ?amera a !re, *p. 6, ?orrente, mm. 8+#8-.:

Mere, the root#position chords have a third above the bass while the first#inversion chords have a sixth. 4- / 19 interval progressions are also very common. Fote that in contrast to descending#fifth sequences, in which the overall motion descends, here the overall motion ascends. !he beginning of "achAs Little 'relude in ? (a)or, "30 ,86, begins with a 47=9 sequence &$xample %6 provides a reduction.: $xample %- &>.S. "ach, Little 'relude in ? (a)or, "30 ,86, mm. %#-.:

$xample %6 &reduction of >.S. "ach, Little 'relude in ? (a)or, "30 ,86, mm. %#-.:

!hroughout the passage, "ach uses suspensions and other techniques to smooth out the ascending#fifth progressions. In m. %, the 0 chord is introduced as the continuation of a bass arpeggiation of I. !he suspended fourth &? on beat -. resolves on the fourth beat as the upper voice makes a consonant skip up to the root of the triad. !hat voice is then suspended as a dissonant fourth into the next measure before resolving to the tenth above the bass and repeating the pattern. !he basic framework of this sequence, then, is a series of alternating tenths and fifths. ote: Feither of the ascending#fifth sequences discussed above run past the fifth chord in the sequence 2to do so would introduce a tritone in the bass as viio moved to I0. Sometimes composers will skip entire steps of a sequence to avoid this situation. ?onsider the following example: $xample %= &L. "eethoven, 'iano Sonata Fo.8% &43aldstein9., *p.=-, mm. 661#6=+.:

!his ascending#fifth sequence begins normally, but breaks the pattern in mm. 66, to avoid the tritone bass motion: I / 0 / ii / vi / Cmissing: iii / viioE / I0 / I. *ther interval patterns are possible &e.g. 4%+ / =9 and 4%+ / %+9. with ascending#fifth sequences, depending on which chords are inverted, and on what chord member appears in the uppermost voice. #onc$usion: 3hile the ma)ority of sequences move by descending#fifth root motion, you will also encounter sequences that move by seconds or thirds. (any of these are structured by a 4=#19 interval pattern and include intervening chords that help obscure the parallel fifths that inevitably arise. In a descending 4=# 19 sequence, each repetition descends by a third but, typically, intervening chords lead to a 456th78nd9 root motion within each step. ;scending 4=#19 sequences, on the other hand, typically follow 45-rd76th9 root motion from one chord to the next. ;scending#fifth sequences have a unique effect, but occur much less frequently than their descending#fifth counterparts.