Lessons · Musicianship

Tension & release

Passing tones, neighbors, suspensions, appoggiaturas

% Frame names only notes the chord under it already owns, and that is
% what is wrong with it: eight arrivals over eight triads with nothing
% in between. One item per chord, so '_4' sets the harmonic rhythm:
% eight chords, thirty-two units, and Close for a cadence.
 
bpm 50
instrument swell
meter 4
unit 1/4
key eb maj
 
Bed   ::= .1Dia _4 .6Dia _4 .4Dia _4 .5Dia _4 .1Dia _4 .4Dia _4 .5Dia _4 .1Dia _4
Frame ::= 5 6 '1 7 '1 6 5 3
Close ::= {.1, 1, 3, 5} _8
 
Frame _4
{Frame _4, Bed} Close
 
 
% A PASSING tone fills a third by stepping through it on the weak half,
% on its way to a note that was going to arrive anyway. Three of them:
% 7 over vi, 7 over I, 4 over V, and not one is in the chord holding
% under it. Frame's eight arrivals are untouched.
 
Pass ::= 5 _4 6 _2 7 _2 '1 _4 7 _4 '1 _2 7 _2 6 _4 5 _2 4 _2 3 _4
 
{Pass, Bed} Close
 
 
% A NEIGHBOUR steps off a chord tone and straight back, so it costs an
% arrival nothing: Turn leans up, Dip leans down, and '@~' carries the
% figure to whatever degree wants decorating. Four notes Frame held now
% move, and the middle of every one of them is outside its chord.
 
Turn ::= 5 _2 6 5
Dip  ::= 5 _2 4 5
 
assert Dip@~2 == 7 _2 6 7
 
Neigh ::= Turn 6 _4 Turn@~3 Dip@~2 '1 _4 Dip@~1 5 _4 3 _4
 
{Neigh, Bed} Close
 
 
% A SUSPENSION is a note that will not move when the chord moves. Fall
% on the beat over Walk[1:] is six sixths and a third, no friction
% anywhere. Push the same seven notes half a chord late: the first
% prepares as a fifth, and each of the six after it enters a SEVENTH
% above the bass, holds the strong half, and steps down to its sixth.
 
Fall ::= 2 1 7 6 5 4 3
Walk<bass> ::= ..5 .3 .2 .1 ..7 ..6 ..5 .1
 
{Fall _4, Walk[1:] _4}
{- _2 Fall _4 - _2, Walk _4} Close
 
 
% An APPOGGIATURA is that dissonance with nothing prepared: it arrives
% ON the beat, uninvited, and steps down. All eight downbeats of Lean
% are notes their chord does not own, and every second item is Frame a
% unit late, which the assert checks rather than asking to be believed.
 
Lean ::= 6 5 _3 7 6 _3 '2 '1 _3 '1 7 _3 '2 '1 _3 7 6 _3 6 5 _3 4 3 _3
 
assert Lean[1::2] == Frame _3
 
{Lean, Bed} Close
 
 
% All four in one tune: 4 and 7 pass, 5 turns under 6, and '1 meets the
% two dominants twice over: held in from the chord before, then struck
% bare on the beat. The same fourth above the same bass, prepared and
% not. And since nothing here names a pitch, the phrase moves to the
% relative minor on one line, where 'harm' keeps the 7 that made it bite.
 
Air ::= 3 4 5 _2 6 7 '1 _8 7 _2 '1 _2 7 _2 6 _2 5 6 '1 7 _3 '1 _4
 
{Air, Bed} Close
 
key c harm
 
{Air, Bed} Close

% Frame names only notes the chord under it already owns, and that is
% what is wrong with it: eight arrivals over eight triads with nothing
% in between. One item per chord, so '_4' sets the harmonic rhythm:
% eight chords, thirty-two units, and Close for a cadence.

bpm 50
instrument swell
meter 4
unit 1/4
key eb maj

Bed   ::= .1Dia _4 .6Dia _4 .4Dia _4 .5Dia _4 .1Dia _4 .4Dia _4 .5Dia _4 .1Dia _4
Frame ::= 5 6 '1 7 '1 6 5 3
Close ::= {.1, 1, 3, 5} _8

Frame _4
{Frame _4, Bed} Close

% A PASSING tone fills a third by stepping through it on the weak half,
% on its way to a note that was going to arrive anyway. Three of them:
% 7 over vi, 7 over I, 4 over V, and not one is in the chord holding
% under it. Frame's eight arrivals are untouched.

Pass ::= 5 _4 6 _2 7 _2 '1 _4 7 _4 '1 _2 7 _2 6 _4 5 _2 4 _2 3 _4

{Pass, Bed} Close

% A NEIGHBOUR steps off a chord tone and straight back, so it costs an
% arrival nothing: Turn leans up, Dip leans down, and '@~' carries the
% figure to whatever degree wants decorating. Four notes Frame held now
% move, and the middle of every one of them is outside its chord.

Turn ::= 5 _2 6 5
Dip  ::= 5 _2 4 5

assert Dip@~2 == 7 _2 6 7

Neigh ::= Turn 6 _4 Turn@~3 Dip@~2 '1 _4 Dip@~1 5 _4 3 _4

{Neigh, Bed} Close

% A SUSPENSION is a note that will not move when the chord moves. Fall
% on the beat over Walk[1:] is six sixths and a third, no friction
% anywhere. Push the same seven notes half a chord late: the first
% prepares as a fifth, and each of the six after it enters a SEVENTH
% above the bass, holds the strong half, and steps down to its sixth.

Fall ::= 2 1 7 6 5 4 3
Walk<bass> ::= ..5 .3 .2 .1 ..7 ..6 ..5 .1

{Fall _4, Walk[1:] _4}
{- _2 Fall _4 - _2, Walk _4} Close

% An APPOGGIATURA is that dissonance with nothing prepared: it arrives
% ON the beat, uninvited, and steps down. All eight downbeats of Lean
% are notes their chord does not own, and every second item is Frame a
% unit late, which the assert checks rather than asking to be believed.

Lean ::= 6 5 _3 7 6 _3 '2 '1 _3 '1 7 _3 '2 '1 _3 7 6 _3 6 5 _3 4 3 _3

assert Lean[1::2] == Frame _3

{Lean, Bed} Close

% All four in one tune: 4 and 7 pass, 5 turns under 6, and '1 meets the
% two dominants twice over: held in from the chord before, then struck
% bare on the beat. The same fourth above the same bass, prepared and
% not. And since nothing here names a pitch, the phrase moves to the
% relative minor on one line, where 'harm' keeps the 7 that made it bite.

Air ::= 3 4 5 _2 6 7 '1 _8 7 _2 '1 _2 7 _2 6 _2 5 6 '1 7 _3 '1 _4

{Air, Bed} Close

key c harm

{Air, Bed} Close

running…edit it and it re-runs as you type

Tension & release · Musicianship