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Introduction

Basics

Melodic Motion Chord Building Rhythm and Meter

Introduction to Cadences

Simple Prolongation

First Analysis

Decorations

More Prolongations

Analysis

Sequences I

Cadence Variations

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Principles of Resolution

In music, resolution is the dissipation of tension. A resolution creates a sense of relaxation or "letting go". There are three principles of melodic resolution.

1^st Principle: Resolution of a dissonance is always by step. The motion to the note of resolution must be a smooth one.

Try comparing the these two resolutions, one ends with a rising resolution and the other with a falling resolution.

2^nd Principle: A falling motion produces a somewhat more satisfying resolution that a rising one. Perhaps this is related psychologically to the relaxing of vocal muscles when the voice descends. At any rate, a falling motion is more likely to be perceived as relaxing. Rising lines in music tend to build tension, rather than releasing it.

3^rd Principle: Notes which are a semitone away from a point of resolution, are pulled towards that note much more strongly than notes which must move a whole step to achieve resolution. When semitones are involved, the pull is stronger and the tension in the music is greater. It's a bit like gravity or magnetism - as things get closer together they pull on each other more strongly.

The effect of semitone is very strong and can easily overcome the tendency to fall, given in the 2^nd principle. Compare the following examples, heard in the exercise you completed at the start of this chapter: The G-sharp in the first example pulls quite strongly back to the A, whereas the G- natural in second does not. The second example could end quite satisfactorily on the F. The G-sharp is pulled up because it is a semitone away from the A.

In the next examples the first ends with a D natural which could resolve up to E-flat or down to C. There is a lot of tension in the D-flat of the second example. This note pulls strongly to C because the C is only a semitone away.

Lines that descend a whole step often continue to fall, especially if the next step down is a semitone. Compare these two examples. In the first the G could go down a whole step to F, or rise back to A. Both seem possible. In the second case, having the A-flat descend a semitone to G is significantly more satisfying than returning to B-flat.

Compare the following lines. In the first line the natural resolution of the D-sharp is back up a semitone to E, but in second, after the whole step down to D it feels right to carry on descending, down to C which then pulls you another semitone down to B.

If a composer wants a line to go down and then return to the starting note a chromatic alteration is often used, so that the step back up is a semitone. This is well illustrated in the following melodic line in E flat major. Note that the second note of each measure is chromatically altered, so that the following step up will be a semitone. At the end of each measure a whole step down is used, and this leads the line down. Listen to the same example in which the A natural has been replaced with an A flat and the F sharp with F natural. Note how this changes the sense of flow in the line.