- Fundamental structure
In
Schenkerian analysis , the fundamental structure (German: "Ursatz") is a specific musical pattern that occurs at the most remote (or "background") level of structure. A basic elaboration of the tonic triad, it consists of thefundamental line accompanied by thebass arpeggiation . Hence the fundamental structure, like the fundamental line itself, takes one of three forms, according to which tonic triad pitch is theprimary tone . The following is an example inC major , with the fundamental line descending from scale degree 3:Fundamental line
The fundamental line (German: "Urlinie") is the
melodic aspect of theFundamental structure ("Ursatz"), "astep wise descent from one of the triad notes to the tonic": ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 3-2-1, 5-4-3-2-1, or 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1with the bass arpeggiation being the harmonic aspect. (Middleton 1990, p.193)
ource
*Middleton, Richard (1990/2002). "Studying Popular Music". Philadelphia: Open University Press. ISBN 0-335-15275-9.
Further reading
*Cadwallader, Allen and Gagné, David. "Analysis of Tonal Music: A Schenkerian Approach". New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
*Schenker, Heinrich. "Free Composition ". Ernst Oster, tr. and ed. New York: Longman.
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