How do you harmonise a given chorale melody in four parts in the style of Bach, choosing chords, placing cadences and writing singable inner voices?
Harmonise a chorale melody in four parts in Bach style, choosing functional chords, planning cadences at phrase ends, and writing smooth, idiomatic SATB voices
A focused answer to the H2 Music composing outcome on chorale harmonisation. Choosing functional chords for a given soprano, planning cadences at the fermatas, writing smooth SATB inner parts, using passing notes and suspensions, and harmonising in the style of Bach.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
SEAB wants you to harmonise a given chorale melody in four parts (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) in the style of J. S. Bach: to choose functional chords for the soprano line, to plan a cadence at each phrase end, to write smooth and singable inner voices, and to add idiomatic non-chord decoration. The central insight is that a successful chorale is planned from its cadences outward and built up voice by voice, not improvised chord by chord. Your task is to know the ordered method and the voice-leading rules that govern it.
The answer
The musical concept: the chorale and its pillars
A chorale is a hymn-tune harmonised in four parts in a largely homophonic, hymn-like texture. The melody is given (usually in the soprano), and the phrase ends are marked by held notes (fermatas). These phrase ends are the structural pillars, each takes a cadence, so they are planned first.
The technique: an ordered method
- Read the melody. Find the key, look for modulations (often to the dominant or relative minor mid-chorale), and mark every phrase end.
- Plan the cadences. Give each phrase end a cadence appropriate to its melody note: a perfect cadence (V to I) for a tonic ending, an imperfect cadence (to V) for an open ending, with plagal or interrupted cadences for variety.
- Harmonise the body. Working back from each cadence, set a functional chord against each melody note, mostly root-position and first-inversion triads (I, ii, IV, V, vi), in a steady harmonic rhythm (often a chord per beat), approaching each cadence with a predominant (ii or IV) before the dominant.
- Write the bass, then the inner voices. Compose a strong, mostly stepwise bass, using inversions to smooth it; then fill the alto and tenor with good voice leading.
- Add decoration. Insert Bach-style non-chord notes, passing notes, neighbour (auxiliary) notes, suspensions and occasional anticipations, without obscuring the harmony.
The technique: voice-leading rules
The same part-writing rules apply throughout: double the root in root-position triads and never the leading note; resolve the leading note up to the tonic and a chordal seventh down; keep adjacent upper voices within an octave; and avoid parallel fifths and octaves between any pair of voices.
Named repertoire
The Bach chorales themselves are the model, for chord vocabulary, cadence variety and the characteristic density of passing notes and suspensions.
Examples in context
Example 1. J. S. Bach, chorale harmonisations. Bach's roughly four hundred chorales are the definitive model: a given hymn tune in the soprano, harmonised with rich functional progressions, varied cadence types at successive phrase ends, four singable voices, and a dense but controlled use of passing notes and suspensions. They are the direct template for the exam exercise.
Example 2. The Lutheran hymn repertory. The chorale melodies Bach harmonised come from the Lutheran hymn tradition; studying the plain tunes alongside Bach's settings shows how the same melody can be supported by different chord choices and cadences, illuminating the harmonisation decisions a candidate must make.
Try this
Q1. Explain why cadences are planned before the rest of a chorale harmonisation. [2 marks]
- Cue. The phrase-end cadences are the structural pillars of the chorale; fixing them first gives the harmonic goals around which the intervening chords, bass and inner voices are built.
Q2. Describe a suspension and its three stages. [2 marks]
- Cue. A suspension holds a note from one chord into the next where it becomes a dissonance, then resolves down by step: preparation (consonant), suspension (held, dissonant), resolution (down by step).
Q3. Outline the order in which you would build up the four voices of a chorale. [3 marks]
- Cue. After planning cadences and choosing functional chords for the soprano, write a strong, mostly stepwise bass using inversions, then fill the inner alto and tenor voices with smooth voice leading, and finally add non-chord decoration.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SEAB exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Original10 marksGiven a four-bar chorale melody in G major that ends each of its two phrases on a held note (the first on the second degree, the second on the tonic), describe in words how you would harmonise it in four parts in Bach style: the chords you would choose, the cadences at the two phrase ends, and how you would write the inner voices.Show worked answer →
Plan the cadences first. The first phrase ends on the second degree (A in G major), which is most naturally harmonised by V (D major), giving an imperfect (half) cadence: a comma, not a full stop. The second phrase ends on the tonic (G), harmonised by V to I (D major to G major), a perfect cadence closing the chorale.
Choose the chords for the body. Work back from each cadence, harmonising the melody note by note with mainly root-position and first-inversion triads (I, IV, V, ii, vi), changing chord roughly on each beat in a measured harmonic rhythm and approaching each cadence with a predominant such as ii or IV before V.
Write the inner voices. Set the bass first (a strong, partly stepwise line using inversions to smooth it), then fill alto and tenor: keep common tones, move by step, double the root in root-position chords, never double the leading note (F sharp), resolve the leading note up to G at the perfect cadence, and avoid parallel fifths and octaves. Add passing notes or a suspension at the final cadence for idiomatic Bach detail.
Markers reward planning the two cadences correctly, a functional chord choice with predominant-to-dominant approach, a singable bass using inversions, and smooth inner parts free of parallels with the leading note resolved. The strongest answers add tasteful passing notes or a suspension and keep a convincing chorale harmonic rhythm.
Original12 marksExplain the method for harmonising a chorale melody in the style of Bach, from first reading the tune to adding decoration. Refer to cadence planning, chord choice, voice leading and non-chord notes, with reference to the chorales you have studied.Show worked answer →
Set out the method. Step one: read the melody, find the key and any modulations, and mark the phrase ends (fermatas). Step two: plan a cadence at each phrase end (perfect, imperfect, or sometimes interrupted or plagal), since cadences are the structural pillars. Step three: harmonise the melody note by note with functional chords, mostly root position and first inversion, approaching cadences with a predominant before the dominant and keeping a steady harmonic rhythm. Step four: write a strong, mostly stepwise bass using inversions, then fill the inner SATB voices with smooth voice leading. Step five: add Bach-style decoration, passing notes, neighbour notes, suspensions and the occasional anticipation, without obscuring the harmony.
Apply the voice-leading rules. Double the root in root-position triads, never the leading note; resolve the leading note up and chordal sevenths down; keep adjacent upper voices within an octave; avoid parallel fifths and octaves.
Use examples. The Bach chorales themselves as the model for chord vocabulary, cadence types, and the density of passing notes and suspensions.
Evaluate. Markers reward the ordered method (cadences, chords, bass, inner parts, decoration), correct voice leading, and stylistic decoration. The strongest answers show how Bach varies cadence types between phrases and uses suspensions at structural points.
Related dot points
- Write idiomatic tonal harmony with secure voice leading, including chord spacing and doubling, smooth part movement, correct treatment of the leading note and sevenths, and avoidance of parallel fifths and octaves
A focused answer to the H2 Music composing outcome on tonal harmony. Spacing and doubling, smooth voice leading, resolving the leading note and chordal sevenths, the rule against parallel fifths and octaves, and connecting chords cleanly in four parts.
- Compose effective melodies and develop motifs using contour, phrasing and cadence, sequence, inversion, augmentation and diminution, and apply these to word-setting
A focused answer to the H2 Music composing outcome on melody and motif. Melodic contour, balanced phrasing and cadence, motivic development by repetition, sequence, inversion, augmentation and diminution, and the basics of word-setting (syllabic and melismatic, stress and word-painting).
- Write idiomatically for instruments and voices, respecting range, transposition and playing techniques, and manage texture and balance when scoring for an ensemble
A focused answer to the H2 Music composing outcome on instrumental writing and texture. Instrument ranges and registers, transposing instruments and concert pitch, idiomatic techniques, and managing texture, doubling, balance and contrast when scoring for an ensemble.
- Structure a complete composition coherently, using established forms such as binary, ternary and rondo, balancing unity and contrast, and shaping key, climax and proportion
A focused answer to the H2 Music composing outcome on form. Binary, ternary, rondo, theme and variations and through-composed structures, the balance of unity and contrast, tonal planning, the placement of climax, transitions, and proportion across a complete piece.
- Analyse harmony and tonality using triads and inversions, Roman-numeral and functional labelling, cadences, and the identification of keys and modulations
A focused answer to the H2 Music outcome on harmony. Triads and inversions, Roman-numeral and functional analysis, the four cadence types, the tonic-predominant-dominant cycle, and recognising keys and modulations.