Exercise

Bass 194 — Half-step bass, minor

First inversion (6)E minor

Corpus id bass-194 · cite this id — it is permanent

What it teaches

The minor mode’s two great half steps in the bass: the leading tone rising into the tonic, and the sixth degree falling onto the dominant.

The given bass

4/4	bar 1	bar 2	bar 3	bar 4	bar 5	bar 6
Bass	E3	D♯3	E3	C3	B2	E3
Figures		6		6	#

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

The model realization

4/4	bar 1	bar 2	bar 3	bar 4	bar 5	bar 6
Soprano	G4	F♯4	G4	E4	D♯4	E4
Alto	E4	B3	E4	A3	B3	B3
Tenor	B3	B3	B3	A3	F♯3	G3
Bass	E3	D♯3	E3	C3	B2	E3
Figures		6		6	#

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

Both of minor’s strongest pulls sit in the bass here: the raised leading tone pressing up into the tonic, then the sixth degree leaning down onto the dominant. Distance from home, heard as two half steps — one from below, one from above.

At the keyboard

The three upper voices of the model realization fit under one hand. Two semitones carry this exercise: D sharp up to E at the start, C down to B at the close. Everything else is escort. Carry it into A minor, D minor.

Voice-leading patterns this exercise drills

Cite this exercise

Gradus Figured-Bass Corpus, bass-194 — Half-step bass, minor. v1.0. https://gradusmusic.com/figured-bass-corpus/exercise/bass-194

Corpus v1.0 · licensed CC-BY-4.0 · machine-readable at /api/v1/figured-bass/exercises/bass-194

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