Grade 7 Techniques QUESTION 1 Indicate suitable chords for a continuo player by figuring the bass as necessary (from bar 2) at the places marked * in this passage. If you wish to use a 5-3 root position chord, leave the space under the asterisk blank, but 5-3 chords must be shown as part of a cadential 6-4 or when chromatic alteration is required. All other chords should be indicated, as should any suspended dissonances. Working the Question:

1. Identify key implied by the key signature and the melody and bass you’ve been given. 2. Hum the bass part in your head to familiarize yourself with the harmonic structure of the music. 3. Look through the piece and identify any possible suspensions. 4. Make a note of any interesting features: accidentals that indicate a modulation, or melodic

devices like repetition or sequences to give clues of underlining harmony. 5. Using Roman numerals, label your chosen chords between the staves – erase them at the end. 6. Figure the harmonic intervals between the bass and melody. Your results may help you decide

what figured bass to use (especially at cadences; e.g. for a V7 instead of a V chord). 7. Decide where the main phrases start and finish and identify the implied cadences at these points. 8. Figure the cadential points and work backwards! 9. Be careful of chromatic alterations in your figured bass, especially for modulations and chords

in minor keys: i or I (tierce de Picardie), and chord V, which contains the raised ê. 10. Try to use 7-6 sus at Phrygian cadences and 4-3 sus /cadential 6-4 at Perfect Cadences.

QUESTION 2 On the staves marked A below is an outline of a chorale harmonisation (or piano sonata or a trio sonata), leaving out certain suspensions, passing notes and other notes of melodic decoration. The music on the staves marked B is what the composer actually wrote. Reconstruct the partially completed bars in the same style. For chorales and trio sonatas think horizontally and add each line individually, phrase by phrase. For piano sonatas, think vertically adding bar by bar. For trio sonatas, try to use 6-5 chords to replace ii6/iio6 chords or isolated second inversions. Working the Question (in the style of a Bach chorale):

1. Non-harmony notes used to give each individual line as much melodic interest as possible. 2. Passing notes, auxiliary (neighbour) notes and suspensions will be the most common. 3. Last cadential chord usually marked by pause and a long chord, which are never decorated! 4. Accented passing notes are most frequently found in the bass, but occasionally inner parts too. 5. Leaps of a 4th can be connected by a passing-note scale involving an accented passing note. 6. Accented passing notes can occur in the bass of first cadential chord, but not at final cadences. 7. When ê > Û between both cadential chords, don’t fill in the interval with passing notes. 8. Typical Bach rhythm ijl or jil is very popular, esp. over cadential chord V when Ê < Î < Ô. 9. Bass line is particularly good at jumping to other harmony notes (5ths and 8ves). 10. Avoid overlap or crossed parts with your non-harmony notes. 11. Avoid consecutive perfect 5ths and 8ves that may result by inserting non-harmony notes. 12. Suggesting secondary function chords using accidentals can help avoid consecutives. 13. Avoid ornaments like turns, mordents, trills etc that are alien to this particular style. 14. Avoid succession of very short-value notes. e.g. avoid jjjl over a crotchet pulse. 15. Avoid harsh dissonances, (moving in 3rds or 6ths, including compounds may achieve this). 16. Too much is as bad as too little. Reasonable degree of movement without being overly fussy

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Working the Question (in the style of a piano sonata):

1. Identify the key and note any accidentals which might indicate modulations 2. Identify the phrases and cadences to familiarize yourself with the structure of the music 3. Identify the character: tempo markings, repeated rhythms and decorative ideas in the given

opening which should be used as the basis for your ideas throughout the rest of the music 4. Hum through the given melody followed by the melody in the harmonic skeleton to give you an

idea of the overall shape of the melody 5. Identify any sequences suggested by similar harmonic outlines but in different pitches 6. Avoid consecutive perfect 5ths and 8ves or other errors of musical grammar. 7. Too much is as bad as too little. Reasonable degree of movement without being overly fussy 8. Ornaments are possible, but do so very sparingly and with purpose. If in doubt, leave it out!

QUESTION 3 (A or B) A) Complete the (violin) part of this extract taken from (Schubert’s Sonatina in G minor for

violin and piano, D.408.) You should construct the melody to form (six four-bar) phrases. Working the Question:

1. Identify the key and note any accidentals which might indicate modulations 2. Identify the character of piece using the tempo, dynamics and articulation and the given opening 3. Hum through the given melody to identify rhythmic patterns that can be reused later 4. Identify the phrases and cadences to familiarize yourself with the structure of the music 5. Do a harmonic analysis of the entire piano and lightly pencil in the violin part which chords are

used – this will largely determine which notes you should use to help create your melody. 6. Identify any harmonic repetition or harmonic sequences 7. But also use appropriate non-harmony notes and ornaments for melodic decoration 8. But avoid slavishly repeating the opening so that the music sounds monotonous 9. Some effective melodies can be static when piano accompaniment is ‘busy’ or vice versa 10. Movement in 3rds or 6ths between solo part and a piano part can be effective 11. Avoid consecutive perfect 5ths and 8ves between the melody and bass

Question 3a Example Answered

Examiners Criticisms of Question 3a:

• Too much doubling of notes in the melodic part of an accompaniment • Students’ melodies are often too limited in range (register) • Lack of stepwise motion and non-harmony notes – too much leaping • Poor phrase balance • Over-use of a given motif – or not enough – which results in meandering melodies • Clashing melody and harmony often as a result of neglected accidentals and false relation • Omitted completion of the first bar or other bars which have only some of the notes given • A very untidy exam paper usually because the ‘working out’ has been done on the staves

provided rather than on separate manuscript paper.

B) OR i) Complete a melody of eight bars in length for (unaccompanied flute). Form your melody from the chord progression below, using (one) chord for each bar, together with any diatonic or chromatic alterations you consider appropriate. You may use the given opening or not as you prefer. Write your complete melody on the staves below.

Working the Question (for Question 3Bii see Grade 6 Question 3B and ignore points 3, 4 and 8):

1. Identify the key and note any accidentals which might indicate modulations 2. Identify the character of piece using the tempo, dynamics and articulation of the given opening 3. Using Roman numerals, label the chords that have been given to you (note any dissonances). 4. Identify possible cadential points e.g. I-V or V-vi in the middle and V-I or IV-I at the end 5. Hum through the given melody to identify rhythmic motifs that can be reused later 6. But avoid slavishly repeating the opening so that the music sounds monotonous 7. Use a variety of rhythmic patterns and develop your rhythmic and/or melodic motifs 8. Avoid being too literal, going up or down the notes of the chords in order like an arpeggio 9. Do a basic version of the melody first to give you an idea of melodic structure 10. Add appropriate non-harmony notes and ornaments for melodic decoration 11. Always keep in mind the instrument you’re writing for so add appropriate expression marks

Question 3bi Poor Example

Question 3bi Good Example

Question 3bi Excellent Example

Ib IV7 iii7b vi ii7d iic V7b I

OR ii) Compose a piece of not less than eight bars for (unaccompanied horn at concert pitch or trombone), based on the given opening. Include appropriate performance directions for the instrument of your choice and state below which it is. Question 3bii Example Answered