Be an instant expert on... THE BASICS OF TONAL ANALYSIS |. What 1s analysis? Analysis means discovering the component parts of a given whole and relating these to each other, |. What terms are used for the divisions of apiece? Piece (or movement) Part Section Subsection What determines dfvision of a piece or movement into parts? A A strong point of arrival, clinched by a conclusive cadence (usually a perfect authentic--PAC--strong beat cadence), 8. Strongly contrasting matertal (new motives or a very different treatment of previously heard motives). IV. What determines division of apart into sections and: ‘subsections? v. Material of a moderately contrasting nature. What terms are used for the growth of a piece of music? 7? double period, etc. j period phrase group 77 phrase phrase member je (subphrase) motive (motir) ‘Some phrases are not susceptible to division into phrase members and are not made up of motives.Vi VIL. What Is meant by these terms? A.A phrase \s the shortest passage of music which, having reached a point of relative repose, has expressed a more or less complete musical thought. (A phrase, then, will generally end with a chord in root position, otherwise it would be Unlikely to convey a quality of re/ative repose.) B.A phrase member (subphrase) \s present when a phrase Seems to be made up of two or more component parts. c. A motive \s a short melodic fragment used as a constructional element in apiece. It is most easily distinguished by its rhythm, Dd. A phrase group \s a series of two or more phrases which are associated with each other due to a similarity of melodic material. . E A period \s a series of two or more phrases, the last of which completes a harmonic or melodic progression left incomplete by the previous phrase(s). It usually consists of one or more phrases ending with inconclusive cadences ( antecedents) followed by a phrase with a conclusive cadence ( consequent), The consequent may end either in the tonic key or ina secondary tonal region. F, A double period \s a period Consisting of four phrases; the antecedent is two phrases in length, and the consequent two, A triple period has three phrases in the antecedent and three in the consequent, guaaruple period four, etc. What Is the relationship between these two sets of terms? Each set of terms deals with the music from a different point of view. A The terms part, section, and subsection are neeaed to speak of the divistons the listener hears within a piece or movement, They deal with the form of the piece as a whole. @© The terms motive, subphrase, phrase, period, phrase group, etc. are needed to speak of the manner by which music grows from a few notes into an entire piece or movement. They deal with the growth of the pfece as It occurs in time, VIII. How does one go about relating the divisions of a work to each other: By discovering the function of each division. In tonal music (major- minor system, roughly the music of the 18th and 19th centuries) a passage of music generally had one (sometimes more than one) of the following functions. A. Statement... A theme or set of themes 1s sounded, expressing a single key. B. Repetition. An immediate recurrence of a state- ment, either exact or varied. C. Contrasting Statement... A theme or set of themes (new or previously heard) expressing a contrasting key. 0. Closing Statement............A theme or set of themes the chief t Purpose of which is to reconfirm the key of the preceding section. E, Restatement. A recurrence after contrast, F. Transition (bridge). .A passage whose purpose {s to lead from one statement toa contrasting statement. When leading to a restatement it is called a retrans/- ¢Yon. Charactertstically, a ¢ransition modulates to the key (but not necessarily the mode) of the ensuing section. Characteristically, a re- ¢ransition dwells on the V of the key of the following passage. 6. Coda: A “tailpiece” the chief purpose of which is to reconfirm the final PAC of a piece or to extend or delay the final (tonic) chord of that c: When this tailpiece is atti bart or section of eee a codetta @H. Development....A passage of music devoted to working with themes and espectally motives which have been heard In other parts of the piece. The traditional developmental methods are: (a) fragmentation of the theme (b) sequential treatment of motives (c) imitative treatment * (qd) themes and motives in new combinations Characteristically, developments do not dwell in any one key for long, but move swiftly from tonal region to tonal region or, even more swiftly, from secondary V to secondary V. IMPORTANTI_ These functions can operate simultaneously in a single passage of music. For example, many transitions and codas ore also developmental, IX. How does one go about charting the growth of apiece? A. A motive is distinguished by its melodic outline and Perhaps to some extent by its harmonic implications, but mainly by its rhythm. Motivic melodies are built up by the process of combining motives by repetition and/or sequence. The recurrence of the motive may be exact or varied, 8. Apassage too short to be perceived as a phrase of music may be repeated and/or repeated in sequence and/or variation to become a complete phrase. Such a passage is called a phrase member or subphrase. c. A phrase can be perceived as being related motivically to another phrase. Two or more phrases, so related, form a phrase group unless they form a period (see below). 0. Whether cr not two phrases are related motivically, they can be related harmonically, as in the er/od, One or more phrases which end with inconclusive cadences (semicadences, plagal cadences, or imperfect authentic) can be felt to complete themselves in the conclusive cadence of an ensuing phrase. ‘When two phrases end ina harmonically identical manner, the second may still be felt as completing the first if the first phrase’s melody does not end on the first scale degree and the second phrase’s does. The antecedent is analogous to the pendent clause in lenguage, the consequent to the Se ene CeeCCCee ce — — —— @The growth of a piece may also be considered from the Point of view of the resulting shape (contour), The shape of a piece (as opposed to Its form) has to do with matters of tension and relaxation, simplicity (thinness) or complexity (thickness, busy-ness) of texture, qualities of Movement, harmonic Consonance and dissonance, matters of instrumentation and orchestration, types of figuration, etc, Often as phrase follows Phrase these varlous aspects of the music tend to produce a gradually increasing tenseness, Mounting to a climax then. Subsiding. Very often such a bulld-up to a climax occurs In each part or section of the plece, with one climax (about 4/5 of the way through) being broader and stronger than the others, WIPORTANTI {fan aspect of the muste is ambiguous, the ambiguity should be noted as one of its qualities.