Bach Chorale Chord Progressions

ROOT MOVEMENT (MAJOR / MINOR) FOURTH CLASS III THIRD CLASS VI SECOND CLASS IV II FIRST CLASS V VII TONIC I

Also normal progression: IV II Common retrogressions: VI III

VII V V II V IV V VI (deceptive cadence)

Less common retrogressions: V III

IV VI

II VI IV I

Common elisions (skipping a class): III IV Repetition: I V IV II

VI V

(remaining functions rarely repeated) Normal progression: Repetition: Retrogression: Elision: 76% 14% 6% 4%

APPEARANCE OF CHORD BY CLASS Tonic: First Class: Second Class: Third Class: Fourth Class: 38% 34% 19% 7% 2% (V = 28%, VII = 6%) (IV = 11%, II = 8%) (VI = 6.4%, I dis. = .6%) (III = 1.8%, V alt. = .2%)

Diatonic triads: Diatonic 7th chords: Altered chords:

83.7% 14.8% 1.5%

SEVENTH CHORDS: Root position: First inversion: Second inversion: Third inversion: 26% 58.5% 3% 12.5%