THEME AND VARIATIONS PROJECT GUIDE

Theme

On a grand staff (continuo style) with a solo line above (i.e. flute or violin):

Compose a chord progression: 1-2 harmonies per measure, in continuo style please be efficient!

1st phrase =  ||: 4 measures :||

-           begin on tonic

-           tonicize a harmony

-           end on V of the home key (entire 4th measure should be V).

2nd phrase =  ||: 4 measures :||

-           begin on tonic of a 3rd related key (m3 or M3 higher or lower, Major or minor)

-           modulate back to the home key.

-           End with authentic cadence in home key.

These 8 measures must include:

-           a mixture chord (secondary or double)

-           N6 or N5/3

-           an A6 chord

-           a 7th chord with added dissonance (9th, 11th, or 13th)

-           a nice solo line

Variation I: another 8 bar period: ||: 4 :||: 4 :||

1^st Variation progression:

2 four measure phrases:
- 1^st phrase Start on any o7, ¯7, Fr4/3 or (V7), ends on V7 of some key,

- 2^nd phrase starts on a harmony that seems to follow the previous V7 nicely, ends with an authentic cadence using an altered V7 in the key of the original theme.

This progression must include:
at least on example of:

- cto7

- an altered V7 (see above)

- Chromatic parallel motion

- Chromatic contrary motion

- Enharmonic reinterpretation of viio7 or V7/Gr6/5

- Mutation

'Copy' and 'Replace Entries' your original melody atop this new progression. Adjust pitches by a half or whole step to match new harmonies, and elaborate with passing, neighboring, appoggiaturas and an oft repeating rhythmic motive.

Variation II: another 8 bar period: ||: 4 :||: 4 :||

For the 1^st four measures, come up with a chord progression that uses one of Debussy's scales and an associated harmonic technique. For the next four measures, come up with another chord progression that uses a different one of Debussy's scales and associated harmonic technique. Then take your melody, simplify it rythmically, and adapted it to the scale used in each of the 4 measure phrases.

Variation III: another 8 bar period: ||: 4 :||: 4 :||

1^st option - Quartal-Quintal harmony (Hindemith style: deriving QQ harmonies from the 'Mother Quartal Chord'). Take your original melody, adapt it so that it contains lots of P4ths and more or less outlines quartal harmonies. Then harmonize (1-2 harmonies per melody) your melody using quartal harmonies ≠ use as many of the 12 pitches of the octave for maximum color.

2^nd option - Pandiatonic harmony.

Take your original melody (with a few extra decorative tones), and harmonize with other voices just doing ≥their own thing≤ with melodic integrity, and such that harmonies with lots of 2^nd and 7ths result ≠ harmonies need not make any tertian sense, though triads may occur (especially to provide a functional tonic).

3^rd option - Polytonal.

Solo line, piano right hand, and piano left hand are each in a different key.

Each variation should feature a particular rhythmic pattern which pervades the variation (for example, dotted rhythms, triplets, etc.).