Exercise

Bass 325 — Diminution: neighbor tones

DiminutionG majorwith florid model

Corpus id bass-325 · cite this id — it is permanent

What it teaches

Diminution by neighbors: each held block tone steps off to the tone beside it and returns on the weak beats — decoration that goes nowhere, on purpose.

The given bass

4/4	bar 1	bar 2	bar 3	bar 4
Bass	G2	C3	D3	G2

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
Soprano	D4	E4	D4	D4
Alto	B3	C4	A3	B3
Tenor	G3	G3	F♯3	G3
Bass	G2	C3	D3	G2

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

Where the passing tone connects, the neighbor decorates: the voice steps off a standing tone and steps straight back, the dissonance flickering on the weak quarter. The strict style admits it warily — it goes nowhere, and music is suspicious of motion without destination — which is exactly why it belongs to diminution: here going nowhere IS the destination.

The florid model

4/4	bar 1			bar 2			bar 3			bar 4
Soprano	D4	C4	D4	E4	D4	E4	D4	E4	D4	D4
Alto	B3			C4	B3	C4	A3			B3
Tenor	G3			G3			F♯3	G3	F♯3	G3
Bass	G2			C3			D3			G2

The florid model — the block realization opened into texture (G major, 4/4; ⌒ = tied from the previous note)

At the keyboard

The three upper voices of the model realization fit under one hand. Every ornament here returns to the tone it left. Prefer the lower neighbor, keep the figure off the strong beat, and a chord held for a bar stops sounding held without ever moving. Carry it into C major, D major.

Voice-leading patterns this exercise drills

Cite this exercise

Gradus Figured-Bass Corpus, bass-325 — Diminution: neighbor tones. v1.0. https://gradusmusic.com/figured-bass-corpus/exercise/bass-325

Corpus v1.0 · licensed CC-BY-4.0 · machine-readable at /api/v1/figured-bass/exercises/bass-325

Loading…