Bach, Chorale 293, phrase 1

vocal texture. To study harmony and voice leading is to study how chords and lines interact-chord with chord, line with line, and line with chord. For you to concentrate on these essenti.als, particularly in written exercises, the simplest rhythm and texture is the most desirable. In this respect four-part vocal writing-the tradi­tional medium for harmony exercises-h<!s many By its very nature, vocal music is simpler than instrumental: complexities of rhythm, extremes of range, and changes in register that are easy on an instrument are difficult or even impossible for voice. At the same time, a setting in four parts, using the natural combination of high and low men's voices plus high and low women's or children's voices, provides a texture in which complete chords occur easily. Indeed, since the sixteenth century the four-part texture has come to represent the norm, especially in vocal music.

Four-part vocal writing is an ideal medium for the study of harmony not only because of its simplicity, but also because of its applicability to music of greater com­plexity. Much instrumental music-though often more elaborate on the surface-is based on a framework of four voices. Example 5-l, a phrase from]. S. Bach's Chorale 293, illustrates certain principles of chord construction. Bach's 371 chorales are uni­versally acknowledged to be among the masterpieces of four-part choral writing. Although they are in many ways complicated little their complexities are not those of rhythm, texture, and all of which remain relatively simple. For this

63

64 Unit 5 Procedures of Four-Part Writing

reason, the chorales have served as models for generations of music students, from Bach's day to yours.

As with nearly all the 371 chorales, Example 5-l is set for four voices:

soprano-women's or childrens high voices alto-womens or children's low voices tenor-men's high voices bass-men's low voices

When notated on two staves, as in the example, the two upper voices (soprano and alto) are written on the treble staff and the two lower ones (tenor and bass) on the bass staff.* The stems of the soprano and tenor voices always point up; those of the alto and bass always point down. The soprano and bass are referred to as outer voices; the alto and tenor, inner voices.

Vocal In simple four-part vocal writing, .each voice is set in a range that it can sing without strain. The usual ranges are shown by the whole notes of Example 5-2; the smaller noteheads represent allowable extensions. The greater part of each line will nom1ally lie within the middle of the range rather than at the extremes.

5-2 vocal ranges

soprano alto tenor bass II o•

I!) y0 0

/~~ -- e.JI.. :

In Example 5-l, all but one of the chords-the V7 just before the fer­mata-are triads. Because a triad consists of only three tones, one of its tones must appear twice-that is, it must be doubled. Example 5-3 indicates the doublings that occur in the first phrase of Chorale 293. Note that doublings can occur at the unison as well as at the octave or multiple octave.

5-3 Bach, chorale 293

II .>I I I ~ . I!) r r r r I I I i

I J j ~ I i1 rJ J I :

·r I 1 brackets indicate doubled tones

*Bach himself notated his chorales in an open score for four staves, using soprano, alto, tenor, and bass clefs. If you are familiar with these clefs, you will find it valuable to write some of your exercises in open score.