Re: Virtual pitch

In article <Oryei.3700$tI5.2138@trnddc08>, "Steve Latham"
<llatham@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In figured bass, a note is written on the staff over which the chord will be
built.

If there is no figure, it implies 5/3 (and we may see 5, 3, or 5/3) and a
3rd and 5th are added above the note (root position).

If the figure is 6 or 6/3, a 3rd and 6th are added (1st inversion).

If the figure is 6/4, a 4th and 6th are added (2nd inversion - there's no
"abbreviation" for this one - the full figure must be included to avoid
confusion with other figures).

So if one writes out the bass note with a name, this is very similar to
modern chord notation.

In Roman Numeral analysis, RN append as:
 
I (RP)
I6 (6 superscript, 1st inv.)
I6/4 (6 super, 4 sub, so stacked, 2nd inv.).
 
For 4 note chords,
V7 (RP)
V6/5 (1st)
V4/3 (2nd)
V4/2 (3rd) - sometimes just V2 (but that's an homage to Piston as far as I 
can tell).

So this writes out the position of the root as a number in the scale, plus
the numbers in thoroughbass, if one assumes that the chord should be built
up by thirds.

There's some advantage to this system in that it shows a lot more clearly 
what's happening with NCTs, but can quickly get to be too much information - 
it basically becomes another form of notation which, for analysis, might be 
counter to what one wants to get at.

It seems that the idea is to write out what is the harmonic function, and
then add what one is used to reading in figured bass to identify the
inversion.

If one should generalize to modern music using more complex chords, I
think it would be best to write out the chord as in thoroughbass with a
note name or numbers identifying the lowest note in the given position,
plus the perceived root. I am not sure though exactly what notation to
use.

Hans Aberg
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Virtual pitch
    ... modern chord notation. ... So this writes out the position of the root as a number in the scale, ... it basically becomes another form of notation which, for analysis, might be ... of the improvisatory nature of Jazz, I think that the ambiguity is ...
    (rec.music.theory)
  • Re: What is the key of this piece
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    (rec.music.theory)
  • Re: Virtual pitch
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  • Re: Virtual pitch
    ... The point is, and I'm sure Steve will correct me if I'm wrong, that in an analysis of any music from the CPP the description of a I chord with added 6th would be seen as some sort of a mistake because those composers would never have written anything that could be correctly analyzed that way. ... for inversions attach the numbers one gets in the thoroughbass notation. ... In C, it would be vi_6^6, or however it is that a vi7 chord in 1st inversion would be notated in your notation. ... There is this notion going around nowadays that the idea of a chord's root has only to do with visualizing the notes of any chord voicing as a stack of 3rds and then the lowest note of that stack is the root. ...
    (rec.music.theory)
  • Re: Virtual pitch
    ... They did not use C E G A as a I chord, or F A C D as an IV chord, as is the common practice today. ... In C, it would be vi_6^6, or however it is that a vi7 chord in 1st inversion would be notated in your notation. ... There is this notion going around nowadays that the idea of a chord's root has only to do with visualizing the notes of any chord voicing as a stack of 3rds and then the lowest note of that stack is the root. ... Maj6 chords are a perfect example of a place where this method breaks down, because maj6 chords, when truly used as maj6 chords, are most definitely *not* min7 chords in 1st inversion. ...
    (rec.music.theory)
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