Exercise

Bass 193 — Half-step bass

First inversion (6)G major

Corpus id bass-193 · cite this id — it is permanent

What it teaches

Sixth chords a half step from their neighbors — above all the dominant with its leading tone in the bass, which must rise.

The given bass

4/4	bar 1	bar 2	bar 3	bar 4	bar 5	bar 6	bar 7	bar 8
Bass	G2	F♯2	G2	B2	C3	B2	D3	G2
Figures		6		6		6

The given bass and its figures (G major, 4/4; ⌒ = tied from the previous note)

The model realization

4/4	bar 1	bar 2	bar 3	bar 4	bar 5	bar 6	bar 7	bar 8
Soprano	B4	A4	B4	D5	C5	D5	A4	B4
Alto	G4	A4	G4	G4	G4	G4	F♯4	G4
Tenor	D4	D4	D4	D4	E4	D4	D4	D4
Bass	G2	F♯2	G2	B2	C3	B2	D3	G2
Figures		6		6		6

The model realization (G major, 4/4; ⌒ = tied from the previous note)

When the dominant stands on its third, the leading tone is the bass itself — so it keeps its obligation to rise, and no upper voice may double it. The upper voices take the root and fifth and leave the pull to the bass alone.

At the keyboard

The three upper voices of the model realization fit under one hand. Feel the two half steps under the left hand: F sharp leaning up into G, and C settling back onto B. Carry it into C major, D major, F major.

Voice-leading patterns this exercise drills

Cite this exercise

Gradus Figured-Bass Corpus, bass-193 — Half-step bass. v1.0. https://gradusmusic.com/figured-bass-corpus/exercise/bass-193

Corpus v1.0 · licensed CC-BY-4.0 · machine-readable at /api/v1/figured-bass/exercises/bass-193

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