Bach Chorale Summary Sheet
WORK OUT THE CHORDS FOR THE APPROACH TO THE CADENCE
WHEN WORKING OUT THE KEYS, REMEMBER THE CADENCES WILL MOSTLY BE
PERFECT, AND IF NOT, IMPERFECT.
REMEMBER THAT A NICE IMPERFECT CADENCE IN A MINOR KEY IS A PHYRGIAN
CADENCE – IVb – V
SEE IF THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE A TIERCE DE PICARDIE
ADD EMBELLISHING NOTES – IN THE ORDER OF PRIORITY:
WORK OUT THE CHORDS AT THE CADENCE POINTS
SUSPENSIONS
AUXILIARY NOTES (REMEMBER THE LOWER AUX THAT IS STYLISH IN THE BASS
BETWEEN Ic AND V)
DECORATED CADENCE PATTERN
WORK OUT THE KEY OVERALL AND THEN THE RELATED KEYS THAT MIGHT BE USED
LOOK AT THE SOPRANO LINE TO SEE WHERE YOU CAN USE VIIb – WHERE THE
SOPRANO IS 1-2-3, OR 3-4-5, OR 5-4-3.
PASSING NOTES
WORK OUT WHERE EXACTLY YOU ARE GOING TO CHANGE KEY – LOOK CLOSELY AT
THE SOPRANO LINE TO SEE IF ANY ACCIDENTALS HAVE BEEN ADDED, OR IF
THERE ARE NOW NATURALS INSTEAD OF SHARPS IF IT HAS BEEN A MINOR KEY
(E.G. NOW A C NATURAL WHEN IT HAS BEEN D MINOR WITH C#)
WRITE OUT CHORDS IN ALL KEYS INVOLVED
WORK OUT WHERE YOUR MODULATING CHORD (V OR VIIb) WILL BE.
REMEMBER THAT THE MODULATING CHORD MID-PHRASE CAN EASILY BE A V7d –
Ib, OR A V7b – Ia. OR – YOU CAN USE ONE THE VIIb SEQUENCES.
LOOK CLOSELY AT HOW THE CHORDS WORK JUST BEFORE THE MODULATING
CHORD – IN BOTH KEYS. DO THEY FOLLOW ON / FIT NICELY.
REMEMBER TO HEAR YOUR WORK! USE EITHER SIBELIUS OR A KEYBOARD SO THAT
YOU CAN HEAR HOW THE CHORDS SOUND THAT YOU CHOOSE.
ACCENTED PASSING NOTES – ESPECIALLY IN THE BASS
DON’T USE V-IV, OR II-I
USE A GOOD MIX OF ROOT AND FIRST INVERSION CHORDS
THINK HOW THE CHORDS YOU CHOOSE WILL AFFECT THE BASS LINE – PENCIL IN
THE BASS AS YOU ARE CONSIDERING WHAT CHORDS TO USE. IT MAY HELP YOU
DECIDE – YOU CAN ALSO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PASSING
NOTES ETC.
CHECK CAREFULLY FOR OCTAVES AND FIFTHS FROM CHORD TO CHORD, DON’T
LEAVE IT UNTIL THE END!
PENCIL IN THE BASS – YOU COULD EASILY CHECK FOR OCTAVES AND FIFTHS
BETWEEN THE SOP AND BASS AT THIS POINT.
TO AVOID OCTAVES AND FIFTHS, TRY RE-DOUBLING, OR CHANGE AN INVERSION,
OR CHANGE THE CHORD!
CHECK THAT EVERY CHORD HAS THE CORRECT NOTES IN IT!
CHECK CAREFULLY THAT ACCIDENTALS HAVE BEEN ADDED
DO THE FINAL CHECKS!
CHECK THAT THE INDIVIDUAL LINES ARE QUITE ‘SINGABLE’. REMEMBER YOU DO
NOT WANT YOUR BASS TO BE SINGING INTERVALS OF A 7TH ETC.
CHECK FOR OVERCROSS
ARPEGGIATIONS – MAKING SURE YOU NEVER DOUBLE THE LEADING NOTE IN THE
KEY.
FOR THOSE EXTRA FEW MARKS, CONSIDER SECONDARY DOMINANTS – ESP V7 OF
V, WHICH WILL BE A CHROMATIC VERSION OF IIb
WORK OUT THE CHORDS FOR THE REST OF THE PHRASES.
II – VI, WHERE THE SOP REPEATS THE 4TH OR 6TH DEGREES OF THE SCALE.
CHECK FOR EXPOSED OCTAVES BETWEEN THE SOP AND BASS – THIS IS WHEH
BOTH PARTS ARE ON THE SAME NOTE, AND HAVE REACHED IT BY TRAVELLING IN
THE SAME DIRECTION E.G. BOTH DESCENDING TO A C, RO BOTH ASCENDING TO
AN A ETC.
WORK OUT THE KEYS AT EACH CADENCE POINT
REMEMBER WHERE IT IS USEFUL TO USE CHORD III – FOR A DESCENDING
LEADING NOTE, AND BETWEEN CHORDS VI AND IV
V-III-VI IS A NICE PROGRESSION – ESP WHEN THE V IS THE PAUSE CHORD OF AN
IMPERFECT CADENCE.
KEEP THE TENOR HIGH
II7b
PLAY THROUGH / HEAR THE GIVEN MATERIAL – INPUT ETC. THIS WILL HELP YOU
TO DECIDE IF THE KEY IS MAJOR / MINOR AT THE CADAECNES ETC.