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Bach Chorale Revision Thread (Edexcel Music 5)

The Bach chorale exam is in a few weeks, so I thought a revision thread might be beneficial, especially for those of us who don't get told much by our teachers! :biggrin:

Here's how it will work:

- Anyone is allowed to contribute.

- Contribute at least one tip per post (use mine as an example).

- Once we have collected enough tips, I can sort them out and put them into a document. This could be attached to a fresh thread, which could be stickied and kept as a resource for future students.

It would be nice to have a document full of tips to refer to, as there are so many little things that will gain you marks for style. Sometimes people miss these out in their chorales simply because they're not told about them.

So, off we go?

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Reply 1

lufiaguy

End minor key chorales with a Tierce de Picardie (add a major 3rd to the final tonic chord).

Reply 2

Pink*Guildhall

always make sure that the voices are not too far apart (bass and tenor can be over an octave, others cant)

Reply 3

fatboy06

Vary your cadences - have a chromatic ii7b V I if you have a none chromatic one elsewhere.

Learn how to use dissonance. Diminished 7ths, Neapolitan 6ths, Augmented 6ths, the whole lot. Extra marks, even if Bach doesn't overuse them.

Have a look at some real chorales and note down interesting things that Bach does that don't break any "rules" that you could nick. Sorry...that's a more general point.

More specifically, for IV V I or ii(7)b V I cadences, the decoration I always nick is (in the bass) scale degrees 4(quaver)34(semiquavers) for the third from last chord.

Sorry...got to go...add some more later...

Reply 4

zabakuz

Ive never been given a straight answer about this but can you use (under the "rules") second or third inversions? If so do they have to be prepared or anything?

Reply 5

-doll

^^ tbh im not really sure. however i have only used root and 1st inversion. apart from 1c V 1 at a cadence point (so 1c is obv second inversion).

i think once or twice ive seen V7d ...but i dont think its very bach-y to do IVc or Vc or anything. that just my experience. erm, i and im not quite sure what you mean by 'prepared' but i think the V7d was just...there, no prep or anything!!

...anyone know any different??

Reply 6

-doll

1) make sure the tenor part doesnt go tooooo low
2) only allow the alto part to have a part that doesnt move much (and hence is really boring to sing.. but there we go!)
3) stick in passing notes where you can
xxx

Reply 7

musicbloke

zabakuz

Ive never been given a straight answer about this but can you use (under the "rules") second or third inversions? If so do they have to be prepared or anything?

Second inversions where appropriate - cadential and passing
Third inversions of V7 welcome.

MB

Reply 8

-doll

Second inversions where appropriate - cadential and passing

^^ really?? like IVc and Vc?? i never knew that. :frown:

i thought they wre discouraged, like the use of chord III... or is that not true either?! :eek:

Reply 9

lufiaguy

bananaboater

^^ really?? like IVc and Vc?? i never knew that. :frown:

i thought they wre discouraged, like the use of chord III... or is that not true either?! :eek:

You're free to use first inversion chords, but only use second inversion chords in passing or cadential 6-4s (e.g. Ic-V-I). Personally I would not touch chord iii with a barge pole!

Reply 10

OJackson

bananaboater

^^ really?? like IVc and Vc?? i never knew that. :frown:

i thought they wre discouraged, like the use of chord III... or is that not true either?! :eek:

Chords IVc and Vc can both be used in the right context. You'll find Bach use "I - IVc - I" quite often, particularly to decorate the final chord in a perfect cadence.

Vc is used mostly when the soprano and basslines are moving stepwise in opposite directions. For example, in C major, a melody line moving E-D-C and a Bassline moving C-D-E could be harmonised with "I-Vc-Ib" .

Chord III (and IIIb) can be used liberally. It's very versatile and can function in place of a dominant or tonic chord, and it can be, in different contexts, a major, minor, augmented or diminished chord.

A nice variant of the tierce de Picardie (ending the final cadence of a phrase in a minor key with a major chord) is using a major chord Ib7 after the dominant chord. So in C minor, the bassline would go G-F(passing note)-E natural. It's a very effective progression which is occasionally used by Bach, though more typical of later composers like Mendelssohn. Take care not to double the third in either chord V or Ib7.

Reply 11

zabakuz

If i modulate to a different key (e.g. A minor from G maj) do i change all the accidentals?

So for that example in have F naturals and G sharps...?

Reply 12

Angelharpist

Sometimes, chords II and VII can sound a bit weird in root position - if this is the case, stick em in first inversion and they're fine :smile:

Reply 13

Staveo

Angelharpist

Sometimes, chords II and VII can sound a bit weird in root position - if this is the case, stick em in first inversion and they're fine :smile:

Chords like IIb7 and things like that can only be used in certain positions though. I don't think it's a case of "sticking em in first inversion," but rather looking at doubling the roots to create a stronger sounding chord. :smile:

I'm looking forward to the exam on Tuesday, but since I'm the only one who does music at my school, I have nobody to discuss it with. :frown:

Reply 14

Pink*Guildhall

i'm looking forward to it too. i feel fairly comfortable with bach chorales and i know that there is no time issue with it.

Reply 15

Helen_w

Use I-VIIb-Ib or Ib-VIIb-I in contrary motion, and it stops consecutive 5ths and octaves :biggrin:

Reply 16

sexysax

Helen_w

Use I-VIIb-Ib or Ib-VIIb-I in contrary motion, and it stops consecutive 5ths and octaves :biggrin:

Yeah when the melody goes mediant - supertonic - tonic or tonic - supertonic - mediant ... I think it is that way around :rolleyes:

Reply 17

Jonathan

When can we use seventh chords, apart from cadentially?

Also I was under the impression that the only perfect cadences we could use were iib7-V7-I and Ic-V7-I. Please elaborate, someone!

Also, has anyone got any good imperfect cadence progressions?

Thanks!

Reply 18

lufiaguy

Jonathan

Also, has anyone got any good imperfect cadence progressions?

Ib-V (double the 3rd in the Ib)

ivb-V (phrygian cadence - often used in minor key cadences to harmonise melody notes 4-5. e.g. in Em, A-B could be harmonised with a phrygian cadence!)

Reply 19

Jonathan

Phrygian, of course, thanks!

Here's a question: under what circumstances, and in what way, can you repeat a chord on two consecutive beats?

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