Exercise

Bass 298 — Modulation to the subdominant (sharp key)

ModulationG major

Corpus id bass-298 · cite this id — it is permanent

What it teaches

To the subdominant from a sharp key: the b7 lowers the key’s own F♯ back to F♮ — the soprano walks G, F♯, F♮, E as the old key is let down gently.

The given bass

4/4	bar 1		bar 2		bar 3		bar 4		bar 5
Bass	G2		D3	G2	C3		F2	G2	C3
Figures				b7

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
Soprano	G4	F♯4	F4	E4	F4	D4	E4
Alto	D4	D4	D4	C4	C4	B3	C4
Tenor	B3	A3	B3	G3	A3	G3	G3
Bass	G2	D3	G2	C3	F2	G2	C3
Figures			b7

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

The b7 works against the signature this time: it lowers the key’s own F♯ to F♮, and the demotion happens in the soprano’s hearing — the same voice that sang the leading tone un-sings it. The new subdominant enters with its accidental on the staff, the new leading tone takes the tenor’s inner license at the first close, and the second cadence settles the matter.

At the keyboard

The three upper voices of the model realization fit under one hand. The soprano’s four descending semitone-and-step moves are the modulation: G, F sharp, F natural, E. Play that line alone before adding the rest. Carry it into D major, C major.

Voice-leading patterns this exercise drills

Cite this exercise

Gradus Figured-Bass Corpus, bass-298 — Modulation to the subdominant (sharp key). v1.0. https://gradusmusic.com/figured-bass-corpus/exercise/bass-298

Corpus v1.0 · licensed CC-BY-4.0 · machine-readable at /api/v1/figured-bass/exercises/bass-298

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