QUARTET ANALYSIS

For this final unit of Music Theory II, we are going to synthesize all the knowledge we obtained this quarter to analyze excerpts of real and significant music in the form of classical string quartets.

Before we do, here is one new concept to add to your knowledge …

ELISION

An ELISION is when two phrases overlap. This will occur in the form of the final chord of the previous phrase (the cadence point) serving as the first chord of the next phrase. You do not have to clarify that it is an Elision, but you will label the same chord with the first phrase’s Cadence Type and the second phrase’s beginning (i.e. Phrase 2).

SECONDARY DOMINANT CHORDS

Sometimes you will encounter a nice neat chord that doesn’t fit into the key signature (there is an accidental in it that doesn’t make sense). For instance, maybe you see a D - F# - A - C which makes a perfect D Dominant 7th chord … but you’re in the key of C Major so this chord doesn’t work in context. First, you don’t have an F# in the key signature (the F# is an accidental in the measure) and secondly, analyzing this chord would make it a II⁷ chord which is a chord that doesn’t exist in C Major (the chord that would be in C Major would be a ii⁷ chord with a D - F - A - C).

So how does this chord make sense?

First, look at the excerpt below with the chord appearing on measure 2 beat 1. Look at where the chord is coming from and where it is going. It is preceded by a vi chord and followed by a V chord.

The fact that this chord is a Dominant chord strongly implies that it is a “V⁷” chord - because “V⁷” chords are the chords that occur in dominant quality naturally. What chord is D⁷ the V⁷ of? D is the V of G so D⁷ is the V⁷ of G. The chord that follows D⁷ here is G.
So the movement of C - a - D⁷ - G should be interpreted as
I - vi - V⁷/V - V.

V⁷/V is pronounced “Five-Seven of Five”.

This chord is called a SECONDARY DOMINANT CHORD because it is a dominant chord of a secondary chord in the key.

Most often times, you will find the following Secondary Dominant Chords:

V/V or V⁷/V

viiᵒ/V or viiᵒ⁷/V

or any V/X or viiᵒ/X

Anytime you find a chord (with an accidental) that doesn’t fit into the key signature, figure out what the chord is as a “stand-alone”, then analyze the chord after it (which will likely be in the original key signature) then figure out what the secondary dominant chord is in terms of the chord after it in the key.

Take a look at this first excerpt by Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 77 and prepare to analyze it by printing a copy of the jpeg below or the PDF off our Canvas site:

To analyze the work, do the following:

• Identify the KEY/TONALITY by studying the key signature and chords in important moments

• ROMAN NUMERAL ANALYSIS: analyze each beat of each measure with chord number, quality, and inversion

  • Along the way, circle notes that are not chord tones

• Identify NON-CHORD TONES by type based on what note they leave and what note they lead to

• Label PHRASES (Phrase 1, Phrase 2, etc.) and CADENCES (PAC, IAC, HC, PC, DC)

*Make sure you read the Viola part in ALTO CLEF

*Be on the lookout for SEVENTH CHORDS (not all the chords will be TRIADS)

When you are done, compare your answers to the video below:

When you complete the practice quartet above, work on this next one by Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartet No. 4, Op. 9

When you are done, compare your answers to the video below: