Music 270 - Music Theory 1 Dr.

Karen Sunabacka
Summary of Chapter 11

Vocal Duet
1. The melodic figures will be downbeat to downbeat…(unlike melodic dialogue)
2. The cantus will be the lower voice.
3. The upper voice will be composed above this voice, THEN the lower voice will be
paraphrased!
4. If you are in a minor key or mode, the ^7 will be raised…the 6th as well if it proceeds
^7.
5. The Vocal Duet will be in 3/2 meter.

The Text
6. Only the upper voice will have poetic text…
7. Text will determine number of phrases and length of phrases:
a. Couplet
i. 3 phrases (AAB or ABB)
b. Tercet
i. 3 phrases
ii. 4 phrases (through repetition of all or part of last line) (ABCC1)
c. Quadrain
i. 4 phrases (ABCD)
8. The rhythmic patterns of the text will determine/suggest the rhythmic profile of the
upper voice.
9. A poetic line can carry only one foot in repetition or there can be two or more feet for
rhythmic variety.
a. Poetry (especially older poetry) has four basic patters…also known as feet.
i. weak strong
ii. strong-weak
iii. strong weak weak
iv. weak weak strong
v. Sometimes there is only one strong syllable creating the foot.
10. We will avoid using text that ends on a weak beat…as our cadences need to be on a
strong beat.
11. One poetic line = one phrase
12. Each strong syllable corresponds to a downbeat.
13. When a line opens with a weak beat, it becomes an anacrusis.
14. Though often most effective, we will not be limited to one syllable per note.
a. The line can be stretched by assigning one strong syllable to two successive
downbeats.
Poetic Feet and Rhythmic Patterns
15. “For every note a syllable” - describes the basic method of fitting words to music.
a. In this approach to text underlay, each poetic foot is matched to an appropriate
rhythmic pattern.
b. When the poetic line carries only one foot, a syllabic setting will limit the
melody’s rhythmic articulation to two patterns. In this event the excluded
pattern can be introduced by assigning a strong syllable to two or more notes
of the melody.
c. A slur joining the noteheads identified this stretched syllable.
d. When grouping notes to one syllable, make sure only strong syllables fall on
downbeats.
16. The REP and ANT melodic figures will carry separate syllables.
17. Avoid stretching the final syllable of a phrase.

The Upper Voice

18. The apogee cannot be repeated
19. Unidirectional motion should not exceed a span an octave
20. Repetition should not exceed three statements
21. Avoid downbeat to downbeat tritons
22. Conjunct and disjunct motion should interchange frequently

Initial Measure
23. Openings available to triple paraphrase are also available to this vocal duet.
(Remember what they are?)
a. The text will tend to determine the opening rhythm!
24. The initial note of the upper voice will be a 1st, 3, 5, 8 or 10th above the lower voice

Phrase Cadence
25. Four phrase cadences are available to the voices of the duet.
a. Three we met in triple paraphrase (what are they?):
i. Whole note followed by a half rest.
ii. dotted whole note followed by a luftpause.
iii. whole note followed by a luftpause.
b. Fourth is a luftpause after a tribrachic or dactylic rhythm.
26. Phrase cadences must be approached by step or leap of a third or anticipation.

Counterpoint (Same as melodic dialogue from chapter 9):

27. The voices will relate closely – Bass and tenor, tenor and alto and alto and soprano.
28. The upper voice is written against the unparaphrased cantus (in the lower voice)
29. Downbeats will carry ONLY consonant harmonic intervals.
30. Careful with perfect intervals: (they need to be treated carefully- always!)
a. Cannot have two 8ves or two 5ths on successive downbeats
b. Cannot approach an 8ve or 5th in similar motion (only contrary and oblique)
31. The Unison should only be heard on a weak beat! (Except for the initial measure)
Harmonic Dissonance (We have both three and four-note melodic figures that we can use as
well as 4 different rhythmic patterns.) With 4-note figures there are more possibilities for
introducing weak-beat dissonance.
32. Dissonance MUST be on weak beat and MUST be introduced by step.
33. Dissonance allowed with the following three-note figures – (With Trochaic and
Iambic Rhythm) (this is the same as chapter 9):
i. P - passing, N - neighbour, C - cambiata and E - echappee.
34. Any of the new melodic figures from chapter 10 can be used in the vocal duet with
tribrachic and dactylic rhythms. But Dissonance allowed in the following figures:
a. Dissonance allowed with the 4-note figures that were expanded with passing
(only the passing note can be dissonant)
i. DS, ARP, PEM, SS and BC.
b. Either or both of the internal tones can be dissonant from:
i. the 4-note extended Echappee - E
ii. Passing - P
iii. Double Neighbor - DN
c. ONLY the second note of the following 4-note melodic figures can be
dissonant:
i. Cambiata - C
ii. Neighbour – N

Final Cadence
35. Like the two-part music in Chapter 9, the cadence will be a Clausula Vera.
a. A variety of melodic figures can be used in the upper voice, as long as the
penultimate notes are ^2 in one voice and ^7 in another.
b. The one exception is when the lower voice or cantus is ^2 in the penultimate
measure. The upper voice can sound ^7 on the same measure’s downbeat and
then move to an anticipation of the ^8 using iambic or trochaic rhythm. The
cantus will remain undecorated for this final measure in this instance.

Paraphrasing the Cantus (the lower voice) – A Guide

36. All Melodic and Rhythmic Figures available, BUT:
a. Lower Voice is a quieter profile
b. The occasional tone can remain undecorated.
37. Do not use RD – the downbeat relationship has already been established.
38. When Paraphrasing the Cantus, don’t forget the counterpoint rules:
a. Remember to be careful of Perfect intervals, whatever changes you make
cannot mess with the Perfect rules. (Consecutive 5ths or 8ves should not
occur, nor should a 5th or 8ve be approached in similar motion)
b. Melodic Figures extend from downbeat to downbeat
c. The apogee should not be repeated or isolated
d. Keep the apogees of both voices in separate measures.
e. Avoid voice crossing and voice overlap
39. No NEW dissonances
40. When the voices sound note-against-note, only consonant intervals should occur.
41. The paraphrased cantus can preserve a weak-beat dissonance or cancel a weak-beat
dissonance.
(The following is in the textbook, but was not written as a part of the rules or summary of
Chapter 11):
42. The phrase cadence in the lower voice will coincide with the upper voice.
43. The lower voice can approach the phrase cadences by step or leap of 3rd, from above
or below.
44. The two voices may occasionally meet in the same rhythmic pattern or melodic
figure, it is better (for the individuality of the line) that the voices have contrasting
rhythmic patterns and melodic figures.
45. Do not create any new dissonances when paraphrasing the cantus.
46. Iambic rhythm in the cantus can redefine a third-beat dissonance or cancel it.
47. When the upper voice has a four-note E or N, where there is a leap to a dissonance –
Introduce Iambic rhythm only if the melodic figure cancels the third-beat dissonance.

Steps to take when composing a Vocal Duet

1) Preparing the Framework

a. Choose text
b. Determine phrases based on text
c. Notate the cantus in the lower staff 0. per measure
d. Write text between the staves and align strong syllables with downbeats.

2) Rhythmic Profile
a. Plan rhythmic profile one phrase at a time
b. Make sure strong syllables are on strong beats

3) Plan/Compose Final Cadence

a. Create your Clausula Vera

4) Compose the upper voice

a. Decide on starting tone and lightly draw a complex curve across the staff to guide
your mental hearing.
b. Where possible give preference to contrary motion
c. Plot and sing the phrase before notating
i. Then play the cantus and sing the upper voice.
d. Be critical:
i. Do downbeats carry only consonant intervals
ii. Do the motives extend from downbeat to downbeat?
iii. Are dissonant intervals introduced by the appropriate melodic figures?
iv. Does your line create a purposeful gesture?
e. Frequently sing from the beginning to the place that you are…Listen for continuity
and direction.

5) Paraphrase the Cantus

a. Check to make sure all rules are followed!