Quintfall vs 3 down 2 up

Quintfall vs 3 down 2 up

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Quintfall vs 3 down 2 up

In Baroque Composition the same movement in the Bass can take on different interpretations and harmonies depending on which notes you consider to be the main ones.

One of the most common and frequent Bass Patterns or Motions in Baroque-style composition and Partimenti is the 3 down 2 up.

This movement consists of a melody that moves down by a third and up by a second, alternating the sequence multiple times.

Another bass movement is the so-called Quintfall or 5 down 4 up, because the bass alternates between a descending fifth and an ascending fourth.

Though these two patterns are different, they share some common elements, and even in a bassline that tends to favor the 5 down 4 up movement, we can introduce a harmony that closely resembles the 3 down 2 up.

To achieve this, we need to focus on identifying the structural notes so that we can adapt all the voices—along with the context, rhythm, and compositional style—to the pattern we want to emphasize.

This will result in a musical passage that feels more or less rigid.

In the following video, an excerpt from one of my 1-to-1 lessons with one of the Apprentice Musicians I personally mentor, we explore how the same bassline can be perceived from two different perspectives.

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Video Demonstration of the Quintfall vs 3 down to up

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