Exercise

Bass 217 — Cadential 6/4

Second inversion (6/4)D major

Corpus id bass-217 · cite this id — it is permanent

What it teaches

The cadential 6/4 met on its own terms: approached from the subdominant side onto the strong beat, resolving down by step over a bass that does not move.

The given bass

4/4	bar 1		bar 2		bar 3		bar 4		bar 5
Bass	D3		G2		B2		A2	A2	D3
Figures					6		6/4	5/3

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

The model realization

4/4	bar 1	bar 2	bar 3	bar 4		bar 5
Soprano	F♯4	G4	G4	F♯4	E4	D4
Alto	D4	D4	D4	D4	C♯4	A3
Tenor	A3	B3	D4	A3	A3	F♯3
Bass	D3	G2	B2	A2	A2	D3
Figures			6	6/4	5/3

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

This is the first of the four 6/4 functions: an appoggiatura-chord. The sixth and fourth displace the dominant’s own tones on the strong beat and fall by step into them — which is why this 6/4 must sit on the stronger beat than its resolution, and why the bass beneath it stands still.

At the keyboard

The three upper voices of the model realization fit under one hand. The alto’s D is already in the hand before the 6/4 strikes — the fourth arrives prepared, leans, and falls. Carry it into G major, A major, C major.

Voice-leading patterns this exercise drills

Cite this exercise

Gradus Figured-Bass Corpus, bass-217 — Cadential 6/4. v1.0. https://gradusmusic.com/figured-bass-corpus/exercise/bass-217

Corpus v1.0 · licensed CC-BY-4.0 · machine-readable at /api/v1/figured-bass/exercises/bass-217

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