Below are some responses to common misconceptions on the quiz. We will discuss some of this in class on Wednesday.

Cadence definitions

Some of you are confused as to the definition of perfect authentic cadence and imperfect authentic cadence. This may be because of an error in the Clendinning/Marvin text you used last year. Those authors include inverted chords in the category of IAC. However, historical theorists and composers did not consider things like V–I6 or V6–I to be cadences, nor do most theorists today who are leading the study of musical form. Both perfect and imperfect authentic cadences always have sol–do as their bass, and the functional bass for both is always D5 T1. The only difference is in the melody.

5) Why do you think a perfect authentic cadence is called “perfect” and an imperfect authentic cadence is called “imperfect”?

This is the same as species counterpoint. While both, by definition of a cadence, can end a phrase, only a perfect cadence will end, or complete, a typical classical work. (Remember that “perfectus” means “complete.”) This is because is has more of a closed or final sound than the IAC. (Though, again, keep in mind that both have the same bass pattern.)

7) Explain prolongation as best you can in a single sentence.

Prolongation extends a harmonic function by means of embellishment (either a voice-leading embellishment, a “contrapuntal chord,” or a subsidiary harmonic progression), allowing more elaborate harmonic phrases while still maintaining a single T S D T progression.

10) Attempt an interpreted functional bass analysis of the following progression:

T1 D7 T1 D2 T3 S4 D5 T1

Answer: T(1 D7n 1 D2p 3) S4 D5 T1

Tonic function (the most common function to be prolonged) is prolonged by two passing chords: D7 and D2. Since the ti bass note of D7 functions as a neighbor to the do of the T1 chords, D7 is a neighbor chord (D7n). Since the re of the D2 chord functions as a passing tone between the do and mi of the T1 and T3 chords, the D2 chord is a passing chord (D2p).

Two general rules of thumb come in to play here: S4 D5 T1 at the end of a phrase is always the cadential progression, and prefer to analyze a tonic prolongation as long as makes musical sense.

Don’t sweat this one too much. It’s all very abstract still, with no real music in front of you. I mainly wanted to get you thinking about this before we see real musical examples in the near future. It will make a lot more sense once you get more familiar with it and start connecting it to musical form and analysis, but only if you have some vague notion of the concepts first.

I have provided feedback to all fourth-species submissions in your Google Drive folders where you submitted them. Please review those notes and update your portfolio as necessary before Monday. Also, if you did not receive feedback for first species because of a file format issue, I have not provided you feedback on those, as well.

Kellan should be getting you feedback on third species by Wednesday or Thursday.

If you did not submit third- or fourth-species exercises yesterday, you will not receive any feedback on those species, even during office hours, before the final portfolio is due on Oct. 7.

For Tuesday, Oct. 1, 8am, do the following:

• Read the resources: Harmonic syntax and Classical cadence types.
• Take the Learning Catalytics quiz with session ID 396102.

Bring a Learning Catalytics capable device to class on Wednesday for more group-based activity.

Continue to work on your species counterpoint porfolios, which are due Monday, Oct. 7. Be sure to make revisions based on the feedback you receive and put everything in notation software before the deadline.

For Thursday, Sept. 26, 8am, do the following:

• Read the resources: Introduction to thoroughbass, Introduction to musical functions, and Harmonic functions.
• Take the Learning Catalytics quiz with session ID 300963.
• Update your self-evaluation, reflecting on two-voice counterpoint, professionalism, and liberal education values. For the latter, make initial comments on how you are applying Long’s four habits of the liberal arts in your work for this class. (Not all of them will be active at this point, given what we’ve studied so far and what we haven’t covered yet.)

For Monday, Sept. 30, 9am, get together with your group and compose your third- and fourth-species exercises. Submit your two best exercises for both third and fourth species in Google Drive for feedback. I will not provide feedback on anything turned in later than that. Your final portfolios will be due on Oct. 7.

Before 8am on Tuesday, Sept. 24, please do the following:

• Review the discussion on fourth-species counterpoint from Monday’s class on Piazza.
• Read the resource on Composing a fourth-species counterpoint, and watch the videos at the end.
• Log on to Learning Catalytics, use session ID 747127, and take the short quiz.

Before Wednesday’s class, please review any feedback I provide you individually via Learning Catalytics or collectively on the course website after the quizzes have been completed.

Notes on the quiz:
All quizzes in this course are open-note. You are also encouraged to talk to each other, in person or on Piazza, as you work on this quiz. However, be sure that the short-answer responses are 1) short (!), and 2) in your own words.

Please bring all of your notes, examples, and other materials to class on Wednesday, as well as a device that is compatible with Learning Catalytics. (Smart phones, tablets, laptops, or web-friendly e-readers are all fine.)