Composing Phrase by Phrase 18

The Return Begins

Hello and welcome or welcome back to Composing Phrase by Phrase! I've been composing phrase by phrase for a while now and I've got two sections knocked out. A theme in D major; a second theme in B-flat major; a digression into G major and back to B-flat; and now? Now what? Classical form dictates a return to D major. Seems sensible enough to me, let's do that!

But how, though? Since this composition is roughly tonal, meaning it has a set hierarchy of chords and they are used within harmonic progressions, and I want to get back to D major, that means I should be aiming for an A major chord (see tonal music theory 101 for more details). I would also like the return to D major to be a big climactic moment, so I need a dynamic build up. I also need to connect back not only harmonically but rhythmically, too. We've been in this nice, broad melody but our target is a lively, motoric rhythm.

With all that in mind, here's what I came up with to begin the transition back to D major.

mms. 129-141

Is there a lot going on? Well, yes... but also, no. We begin with the cadence to the previous phrase. Instead of hitting the B-flat chord and stopping, the viola and cello charge in octaves down a B-flat minor scale to the lowest point on their register, those phat open C strings.

mms. 129-130

When they get there, they play a newish melody. The actual melodic arc hasn't really been heard before. The rhythm, however, is the same as the rhythm used for the antecedent of the second theme's phrase.

mms. 122-123 and mms. 131-132 comparison

Where the second theme played out over gentle leaps across its melodic arc, this rendition is held close to the point of origin. The resulting compression aids the dynamic build up that I would like to achieve. For one, it gives more head room for the material to ascend, or even just move around in general. For another, the contrast in melodic arc coinciding with a contrast in harmonic material creates a sudden point of suspense which needs resolution.

The viola and cello play the altered antecedent and then lands on a longish sustained tone. When they get there, the violins play a skittering melody, harmonizing with each other as the triplets descend towards their goal.

mms. 133-135

The skittering bit is tough for lay ears to parse on first listen. That's fine. The aim is more for a spattering of color, a textural effect more than a motivic or harmonic one. That said, it's not random. The whole line can be divided into three chunks. I'll look only at violin 1 for clarity. The line starts off with a rhythmically compressed version of the consequent arc from the second theme's phrase. This technique where the composer takes an established rhythmic element and compresses it is called diminution (in certain circles).

m. 72 and m. 133 comparison

The second bit of skitter is straightforward enough - it's the same melodic arc in sequence.

mms. 133-134 sequence

The last chunk of the line is a sequence of descending thirds followed by one final arpeggio that takes the line to its final goal. Altogether, the parts of the line can be divided like this:

mms. 133-134 parts

What is violin 2 doing during this, you ask? Simple! It's harmonizing with violin 1, following basically the same line. All of this is being played over the sustained low C in the viola and cello.

mms. 133-134

Now, while the skittering line itself is, uh, "simple" I suppose you could say, the harmony is doing some squirrely things. Violin 1 is pulling its pitches from the whole-tone scale: C, D, E, F-sharp, G-sharp, A-sharp. Violin 2 harmonizes in thirds, but pulls its line from a (music nerd alert) B-flat Myxolydian Flat6 scale. That's a bit of a mouthful. You can think of it as a confluence of a major scale and its parallel minor. In this case: B-flat, C, D, E-flat, F, G-flat, A-flat.

This combination of incongruous harmonic elements more or less obliterates a clear sense of harmonic center. The whole-tone scale (which had been used before for similar reasons) is already harmonically ambiguous. Putting a completely different scale type underneath it doesn't really clarify things, especially at the speed the instruments are playing.

What happens next? Good news! It's the same thing! Well, it's a sequential repetition. And there's a bit of a harmonic shift in the skittering scale, but otherwise, it's all the same. The viola and cello begin their line again and move their sustained tone up a half-step. The two violins follow suit.

mms. 136-140

And that's about it for this next chunk. We've got a bit before the transition back to D major is complete, but that's a problem for future me. Now me is done. So, thanks for reading! I hope you learned something for your own compositional practice. If you enjoyed what you read and want more, consider subscribing to an RSS feed of your choice. If you really liked it, you can support me by joining my Patreon for access to other scores and projects, as well as score videos of blog examples.

Either way, thanks for reading!

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Composing Phrase by Phrase 16

Prepping the Modulation

Hello and welcome or welcome back to Composing Phrase by Phrase! I've been working through a string quartet movement. Last week, I went over an extension of the second main section of the composition. The phrase geared up for a change from G major back into B-flat major. Today, I'll go over the next step in the modulation. Here's the phrase we'll be looking at:

mms. 102-115

The first big thing is the return of the "interruption phrase," the rhythmically and harmonically jarring measures which first arrived way back in the second phrase of the composition. This has been used previously as part of a consequent to an antecedent-consequent phrase pair, one which provided both a contrast and a means of preparing a cadential phrase. It was also used to help modulate the end of the first section from D major to B-flat major and it is being used in a similar fashion here.

There's a recurring motif that happens during these interruption moments, a minor second. Previous interruption phrases alternated between harmonically static rhythms and this motif, as such:

mms. 17-21

The interruption moment from mms. 102-106 condenses the alternation. I simply placed the minor second motif in the cello, alternating with big octave leaps.

mms. 102-106

I decided to condense this moment because we've already heard it a couple of times already. Giving a full reiteration of the interruption phrase felt like it would be too much of a muchness. Thinking about it now, I suppose it might also have been possible to give an extension of the interruption phrase, introducing harmonic movement and/or giving the rhythmic element to three instruments while the fourth plays a melody above it. That would be pretty cool, but I don't feel like the form supports that kind of development at the moment.

Speaking of harmony, the chords here are a conglomeration of sevenths. They were built around the vague idea of an F7 chord in first inversion - the cello plays the A, the viola plays the F and the E-flat. There's also a touch of a B-flat major chord sneaking in there between the cello's B-flat and the first violin's D and C-sharp. The second violin makes a mess of it with a G and F-sharp, a hold over from the G-major section prior.

Would an ear actually distinguish these three layered elements? No, I would think not. It simply perceives a sharp, cacophonous sound. However, different types of clusters do have different types of sounds. If I had used another stack of sevenths using pitches unrelated to the two key areas I'm trying to connect (G-major and B-flat major), it would have a similar but tangibly different harmonic feel to it.

All of that mess resolves to an A-major chord. The chord is presented using the cadential rhythmic motif, a dotted-eighth plus sixteenth-note plus eighth-note rhythm over sixteenths into and eighth. The viola sustains its cadential note, playing on while the rest of the instruments abruptly cut off.

While the viola continues on, the minor-second motif makes a return. The cello plays a rhythmic bass on A and the second violin performs the minor-second. Its relation to the sustained and rhythmic A's is a third, alternating between major and minor through the motif. After alternating with the cello in a hocket-like moment, the viola and cello lead into the next part of the phrase with scales playing in contrary motion. Their goal is an E-flat, a tritone away from the A.

mms. 108-110

At the next segment, the second violin picks up the sustained tone and everything repeats in the new harmonic area. The difference is register. The viola plays what the cello played prior while the first violin plays what the second violin played previously. The contrary motion scales also land in a slightly different way, on an A and a C instead of octaves.

mms. 111-115

There's still a little bit more before the modulation back to B-flat is completed, but I think I'll leave that for next week. The main take away here is how the phrase creates a moment of high tension that acts as the pay off for the build-up before it, then suddenly breaks away. Even though it creates space, the fact that the rhythmic and harmonic elements are yet unsettled continues to hold suspense. The listener doesn't quite get a breather at this moment. I'd rather the release of tension happen at the return of the B-flat major melody. This is all a pacing issue - if I release tension too soon, the melody's comeback won't be quite as impactful. In this case, that's because the melody we're repeating is, itself, fairly relaxed compared to the rest of the composition. Letting the tension go slack before its return doesn't give us much else to let go of for dramatic effect.

Alright, I think that's all for today! I hope you learned a thing or two for your own composing. If you enjoyed the post, consider subscribing to an RSS feed of your choice. If you really enjoyed it, maybe join my Patreon! I post score videos for the phrases I write about in the blog as well as other scores and project as they come up. Either way, thanks for reading!

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Composing Phrase by Phrase 17

Finishing the Modulation

Hello and welcome or welcome back to Composing Phrase by Phrase! We've been chugging along through a movement for string quartet, something like a scherzo, except it's not quite following the classical scherzo format. Last week's post went over more of the modulatory phrase that's going to bring us from G major to B-flat major. Today, I'll bring us the rest of the way. The phrase in full looks like this.

mms. 115-130

The segment begins with a continuation of the half-step motive I've been using throughout the work. Instead of going up a half-step and stepping back to the starting note, though, I use the rising half-step as the next rung of a ladder leading upwards. This rising scale starts with just violin 1 playing the motive and violin 2 playing a simple, sustained accompaniment.

mms.115-116

In the next three measures, violin 1 continues the ascending scale, this time without the brief rests separating the statements. This phrase extension is joined by the viola, which adds a little bit more color and weight to the accompaniment. A few simple changes to the rhythm help ease into the phrase's approach towards the top of the scale - a sustained measure, followed by two beats of 6/8, followed by a hemiola of 6/8 in violin 1 against 3/4 in violin 2 and viola.

mms. 117-119

There's a shift when the three instruments reach the top of their scale. Violin 2 and viola break from their sustained accompaniments and join violin 1 in a harmonized descending scale. Excepting some contrary motion in the viola, the three instruments use the fauxbourdon harmonization I've used before in the work. This texture has come up a few times already, which might be a potential weakness of the composition. I think since the work will end up being quite short, it's probably fine, and repeating textures can also add a sense of cohesiveness to the whole. Now, if my next composition has a bunch of fauxbourdon, as well, well... I'll have to think more carefully about expanding my textural palette.

Aside done. The cello also joins in. The plan is to have all four instruments playing the return of the second major theme. I'd rather that didn't feel like a total surprise, so this seemed like a good place begin the cello's entrance. The cello's goal is a sustained B-flat and F. To get there, the bass line starts right at the bottom of the instrument's register and moves up a scale in contrary motion against the fauxbourdon harmonization.

mms. 120-121

Harmonically, a few things are happening. There is a general allusion to a ii-V-I progression, a very common pattern of chords that is used all over the place. The fact that everything is moving in scalar motion somewhat disguises this otherwise common progression. In addition, the cellist only provides the bass note for the ii chord (C minor7, marked in red). While the V chord (F major, marked in blue) does appear, it is only briefly in upper trio of instruments. The cello doesn't even provide an F in the bass. This blurring of elements used for an otherwise common progression helps keep the phrase's cadence from feeling too stale.

mms. 120-121, important harmonies

At this point, the modulation back into B-flat major is complete. Hooray! It was quite a detour to get there. Of course, there are more direct routes one could have taken, but I have ADHD, so I'm not sure I can do anything without a discursion here in there (see paragraph 4 above, as well as this parenthetical). Once B-flat major is fully settled, the second major theme makes its return. Where previously it was played by the viola and the cello in octaves, it is now played by the viola and violin 1. Violin 2 adds a little bit of harmony through a lightly contrapuntal line. Cello supports everything with a droned B-flat and F. In addition, viola and cello provide the fills in between phrases.

mms. 122-130

In contrast to the fairly disguised harmonies that brought us into the section, the harmony here is fairly plainly stated: B-flat to F, B-flat7 to E-flat to F. In this case, I wanted the plainly stated harmonies to help signal a return to stability in the composition. It won't stay stable long! But that's for next time.

This is as good a place as any to wrap up for the week. I hope you found this little read informative. Maybe even enjoyable? If so, consider following the blog on an RSS feed of your choice. If you really enjoyed it, you can follow along at my Patreon where I provide video samples of the composition in progress, as well as other compositions I write that don't make it into the blog. Either way, thanks for reading!

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Composing Phrase by Phrase 15

Whole-Tone Bran, the Breakfast of Champions

Hello and welcome or welcome back to Composing Phrase by Phrase! Things have been cooking along for this piece. Last week, I began expanding the second section of the composition by plopping the listener right into an abrupt key change. The viola and cello spin out a new, somewhat contrasting melody built from previously established motives. Now what?

The goal, I think, will be a return to B-flat major and the composition's second theme. I'm going to take a moment to step back to the big picture and talk about the form. Way back when I first concieved the second theme, I imagined the composition would go towards a ternary form. The structure would be something like: theme 1, complimentary theme 1; theme 2, complimentary theme 2; then back to theme 1. This would follow formats popular during the Baroque period, full of minuet and trios, as well as opera arias, all using the ternary form.

That's not quite what's happening in the string quartet version, but the general idea of ternary form is still lurking about. We've had the first theme and its section, we're working through the second theme, and the goal is ultimately a return to a transformed first theme. The interiors of each section are where I diverge from Classical ternary form. The ternary dances, in particular, would have more or less the same structure between the two sections. Using letters for phrases, it would look like AA'BB'AA' or something to that effect.

My composition, as it's shaping up now, is currently doing something like ABABCCDC. More or less. If I include the return of the primary theme, it would probably be ABABCCDCA'EA'. It's a little gnarly, is what I mean. And I like it like that! Especially given the rhapsodic nature of the composition, the vague nod towards a stock form helps ground the piece, but by filling the form rather differently, it comes across with a fresh coat of paint, so to speak.

That's enough of that, now. It's time to take a look at the next phrase. And it looks like this:

mms.92-101

There's two segments to this phrase. The first four bars is a continuation of the melodic material established in the phrase prior. Violin 1 and then violin 2 pick up the sequence and continue it in their own fashion. The melodic unit has been compressed from four to two measures, a fairly common technique used to generate momentum as the pace of new information speeds up.

The first measure of each two-bar unit is the familiar motive used at several points in the composition. The second measure is a callback to part of the melody back near the beginning at measure 11.

mms.92-93 and mms.9-11 comparison

The two violins also dovetail their melodies - violin 1 ends its melody on the same note violin 2 begins its version. This allows the smooth swapping of melodic material from one instrument to the next. In this case, since we're moving between the same instruments, the effect is more of a subtle change in tone quality with a bit of a stereophonic feeling, as well.

dovetail effect

The cello plays bass for the harmony. It's using a motive established from the first section as well, the rhythmic motive used to mark cadences and phrase endings. The motive shows up right at measure 2.

cello m.92 and violin m.2 comparison

The viola plays some harmonic filler to help glue everything together. Its part drops out for a moment to add just a breath of clarity before setting up the big crescendo coming in mms.96-101.

Texturally, this crescendo is divided into three layers. Violin 1 and cello play a melody built from the "cadence motive," but they are offset from each other by an eighth-note. On top of that, the two parts play a hemiola meter with each other, the violin playing in two threes and the cello playing in three twos.

violin 1 and cello rhythmic comparison, m.96

This somewhat complicated rhythmic layering is accompanied by a simpler third layer. Violin 2 and viola chug away at steady eighth-notes. This provides both rhythmic drive and harmonic filler.

Speaking of harmony! The section features another sequence. Each step of the sequence moves up a major 2nd, following the outline of a whole-tone scale. Rhythmically, the sequence proceeds first in one-measure repetitions from mms.96-99 then to one-beat repetitions from 100-101. This follows through on the trend of compressing material established at the beginning of the phrase.

sequence mms.96-101

As a harmonic source, the whole-tone scale has an airy, ungrounded feeling. Half-steps generally adds a sense of direction within a scale, so lacking them creates an aimless quality. The intent behind using a whole-tone scale here is to begin working towards a modulation back to B-flat major. The whole-tone scale dissolves the bonds of G major, thus making room for the alterations necessary for the modulation.

Two other little details before I wrap up. In measure 95, the cello changes rhythm slightly from its previous pattern. The analogous measure would be m.93.

m.93 and m.95 comparison

This small change was made to continue momentum a bit more seemlessly into the next phrase by emphasizing the meter more clearly. It also hints at the future metrical compression that happens during the following sequence.

A similar approach is used in measure 100. The ensemble coalesces into unison rhythms right at the moment the sequence reaches its last compression. Measure 101 then opens the meter back up to allow a more natural flow into the following phrase.

mms.100-101

And I think that's got it covered for today! I hope you enjoyed reading the post. If you did, consider subscribing the blog to an RSS feed of your choice. If you really did, consider joining my Patreon to help support your startving artist. Either way, thanks for stopping in and I hope you learned a thing or two to take back to your own composing. Until next time!

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