Project 14: Improvisation on a dominant

Having earlier identified the dominant chord as one of notable importance in composition, I wanted to look a little deeper in the theory of static harmony to enable me to further understand the potential of this exercise. 

I found quite a lot of information relating to the Dynamic and Contrapuntal Elaboration of Static Harmony which was quite interesting and led me to listen to quite a number of pieces which take advantage of this method. 

I found the idea of a descending root pattern to be quite interesting in how the suspense is maintained by the static notes of the chord whilst the notes move chromatically down the scale. 

With this composition I tried to keep the idea quite simple, whilst giving the whole piece the overall feel of deep complexity. I began by choosing my treble line to sustain the dominant chord across two voices.  I simply used whole notes in one voice to portray two notes from the Bb triad and then added a second voice displaying a quaver rhythm, swinging between the other notes in the chord.  Along the way I inverted this chord to add further suspense and variation. 

On the bass line I composed a simple pattern of semiquavers running up and down the G-major chord in the first two bars.  I then repeated the pattern but transposed it by either a 3^rd or 5^th to add melodic interest and a distraction from the suspension of the dominant Bb chord.  At the end there is a very simple and sudden movement to the tonic, which surprises the listener with the instant resolution of the piece. 

Overall I am happy with how this piece turned out and feel as though this method could have continued for quite a while longer before becoming too familiar for the listener.  I hope to experiment with both static and dynamic harmony in later sections.