Harmonic Expansions 1.5

HARMONIC EXPANSIONS

CHAPTER 1: EXPANDING THE TONIC TRIAD; THE FUNDAMENTAL HARMONIC PROGRESSION
1.5 Expanding the tonic triad with passing tones

Stephen Foster, Civil War tunesmith.

End of "Oh Susannah" by Stephen Foster: melody 3, 2, 1 supported by I V I.

In the above arrangement of the last phrase of Foster's "Oh, Susannah", the flute descends with scale degrees 3, 2 and 1 over I V I harmony. In the last two chords the leading tone rises in the guitar and the remaining inner voice falls by third. As on the previous page, the resulting final chord is missing its fifth, G.

When the fundamental harmonic progression has scale degrees 3, 2, 1 in the soprano, the embellishing tone, 2, is called a passing tone, labeled “PT” in the illustration to the right. Passing tones are approached by step from a more stable note and then move by step in the same direction to another more stable note.

Scale degree 2 as passing tone

Voice Leading

When the soprano moves from scale degree 3 to 2, use CTS voice leading. See both examples to the left.
When the soprano moves from scale degree 2 to 1, use the voice leading for upper neighbors: EITHER…
- inner voices fall by third (Ex. 1) …OR…
- the leading tone rises to the tonic while the other voice falls by third (Ex. 2). This is the voice leading which results in three roots and a third.

Your turn! Write I V I progressions as in the above examples.
1. DOWNLOAD pdf file 01.5 to print out and write on.
2. ENTER your part writing on the Harmonic Expansions 1.5 page in Noteflight.

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