An Explanation of Dissonance Treatment (for DMEA students) and an Expansion of your VERY BAD List (for DMEA and Section 2 students)

Dissonance Treatment:

7thsThe following refers to the correct resolution of bound (essential) dissonances.

In a 7th, the top note is bound and needsto resolve down by step.

Very Bad List:

7 3

4ths In an aug. 4th, the voices tend toEXPAND, which is not surprising, since thisinterval is the inversion of the dim. 5th.

P4ths

A P4 is best resolved over the samenote in the bass. Rather than repeat thatnote in the same register, it can be more effective to repeat it down the octave.

4 3

4 3

2nds

In a 2nd, either the top or bottom voicecan resolve, and usually does so bystep. These dissonance are quite free.

2

3 3

5ths In a dim. 5th, the top note needs to resolvedown by step and the bottom note upby step, so that the interval CONTRACTS.

4 6

O

5 3

+

Notice that the only place that w

e can formthe aug. 4th and dim

. 5th in the major scale is

between the sub-dom

inant and leading-tone (scale-degrees). G

iven the explanation of these scale-degrees as tendency tones in the first part of C

h. 5 in your textbook, can yousee w

hy these dissonant intervals need to expand and contract as they do?

3 3from:

In this moment, the soprano moves downbut the bass delays, creating the suspension.

Consecutive 5ths and 8ves Hidden 5ths and 8ves(What you get when you approach a P5 or P8

with similar motion.)by similarmotion:

by contrarymotion:

5 58 8

5 5

8 8 3 8 3 8 8 5 8

Oneexception:

(V I)

(often happens atcadences...)

Our inner ear fillsin the intervals!