AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

How to
Harmonize Bach
Chorale
Cadences

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

What you will have to

do in the AS Exam.
You will be supplied with a Bach Chorale.
It will be complete, except at the cadences, where the Alto,
Tenor and Bass parts will drop out.
You will be required to supply the missing Alto, Tenor and Bass
parts.
In most cases this will involve supplying the two cadence
chords, their approach chord and one or two other chord
preceding this.

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

Make sure you know the

following before going
any further :
Rules on consecutives
Guidance on note doubling
Vocal Ranges for SATB
The Roman Numeral system for labelling chords
General characteristics of Bachs chorales

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

Analysis of the cadences

of the 371 chorales
Cadence

Root Position Inverted Total

Perfect (V-I)

1,241

211

Approx
Percentage
1,452 73

Imperfect
(?-V)
Plagal (IV-I)

225

190

415

21

30

14

44

Interrupted
(V-VI)
Other
(modal
chorales)

33

33

1.5

50

2.5

From : Bach Chorale Harmonization and Instrumental Counterpoint by Malcolm

Boyd (1999)

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

What does
this tell us?
Perfect cadences in root position are most frequently used, followed
by Imperfects, either in root position or inverted. They represent the two
ways of finishing a phrase, with an answer or with a question.
Imperfect cadences can be re-defined as any chord leading to chord V.
Plagal and Interrupted cadences are very rare and are only used to
accommodate unusual soprano patterns.
It is often better to modulate, and use a Perfect or Imperfect Cadence in
a new key, rather than use Plagal or Interrupted Cadences.

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

Which one? Perfect

or Imperfect?
Just look at the soprano
If it finishes the phrase on the 1st (Tonic) or 3rd (Mediant) scale
degrees use a Perfect.
If it finishes on a note of Chord V, the 2nd (Supertonic), 5th
(Dominant) or 7th (Leading Note) then use an Imperfect.

Note, the one note that is shared by both the Chords I and V, the 5th
scale degree is almost always harmonized by Chord V at the end of a
phrase. This note signifies use of an Imperfect Cadence or
modulation to the Dominant.

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

General Points about Bachs

Perfect and Imperfect
Cadences

The Pause Chord

Should be in root position for maximum strength serving as a pillar
in the harmonic framework of the piece.

If inversion is used at an Imperfect Cadence, it will be the chord

preceding the pause chord that is inverted.

Should be full, ie. include the 5th ,root, and 3rd

An exception to this will only occur if you need to avoid consecutives.

Should not contain any movement, passing notes or suspensions.

Remember, the Pause Chord marks the end of a line of sung text.

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

General Points about Bachs

Perfect and Imperfect
Cadences

The Chord before the Pause Chord

is often two beats long. Even so it should be harmonized with two
crotchet chords, even if they are the same eg. V-V-I.

The final Pause Chord of the whole chorale

should always be major. In a minor key this will mean adding a
tierce de Picardy or Picardy third, with the correct accidental in the
appropriate part.

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

General Points about Bachs

Perfect and Imperfect
Cadences

3 Cadence Chords rather than 2

Bach uses an approach chord before the two cadence chords,
particularly in Perfect Cadences, and reproducing this is essential to
capturing the style.
The approach chord is either a chord of dominant preparation, such
as IV, IVb,ii, iib or ii7b, or a chord belonging to the tonic family, I, Ib, vi
or vib.
This enables us to identify different types of Perfect or Imperfect
Cadences by referring to them by the approach chord and the two
cadence chords, eg. ii7b-V-I, or I-Ib-V.
For the AS Exam you will be required to supply these three chords
plus one or two preceding chords.

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

Perfect Cadences
They make a phrase sound complete and rounded off rather like a
full stop in a sentence.
They completely reinforce the idea of being in a key and are
essential to modulation.
They provide the maximum degree of harmonic stability.
In order to achieve this, root position chords should be used for
the two cadence chords. The approach chord may be inverted.
For some frequently occurring melodic patterns, Bach devised
stylistic formulae, or standard patterns that should be memorised.
For all other situations, common sense should be applied in terms
of choice of approach chord and voice leading.

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

Imperfect Cadences
Make a phrase sound as if it is momentarily taking a break
before moving on, rather like a comma rather than a full stop
in grammar.
Any chord leading to Chord V will work as an Imperfect
Cadence in chorale style.
If inversion is used it will usually be the chord preceding
Chord V.
In a minor key remember that the 3rd of Chord V will
always need an accidental as it is the Leading Note.

AS/A2 Music

Bach Chorale Cadences

The Video Tutorials

The Video Tutorials demonstrate how to harmonize the
main types of cadence found in the chorales.
Working with pencil and paper you should copy the steps
as they occur on the screen, to learn how to build the
cadences and to make decisions based on the given
situation.