This is the first in this series where I will be putting the second lute suite under the microscope in order to learn the patterns and techniques that Bach is using in his modulations. It was a mystery to me for such a long time that I had to ask myself the question ‘why are there all of these notes outside of the key signature in every bar and sometimes on every beat in Bach’s music? What is he doing that isn’t explained by traditional music theory?
Well, as a lot of you already know, after many years of studying, I finally developed my method that uses a mathematical principle to transform the music into a language that is simple to understand and then utilise in one’s own music. Once you become proficient at the using the method, you will be able to read the music in real time and see which keys it moves through, using which scales and modes and uncover the hidden sequences in the music. I particularly enjoy the moment when a complex section of music gives up its secrets and the thought process of the composer is revealed. It is literally an Aha! moment, something like ‘oh, its just Harmonic minor – Harmonic Major – back a fifth – Hungarian minor – Harmonic minor, repeat in the new key’. No music remains opaque nor its structures and sequences obfuscated, as you can witness in many of my posts including this one and anyone trained in using the method can go off and tackle any music they like.
And now, on to the prelude. The key is A minor and the G# in the first 3 bars takes us straight into A Harmonic minor. Every time there is a G natural it means C Major (or A Aeolian/Natural minor but as A Aeolian is a mode of C Major, I prefer to think of it as mode VI of the Major scale and not a scale in its own right) and every time the G# appears it is A Harmonic minor. That is the simple little dance that takes up the first 8 bars.
Bar 8 has an F# following the G# which is signalling A Melodic, and notice the notes are descending A, G# F# (the Melodic scale is not natural minor when descending as I have explained elsewhere but rather a change of scale, so F#, G# A, G, F ascending and descending is A Melodic to A Aeolian, a change of the scale not the form of the scale changing.) This then returns to A Harmonic minor, so we have so far:
(A Harmonic minor – C Major) x3 – A Harmonic minor – A Melodic – A Harmonic minor
Now, notice the repetition of the alteration between A Harmonic minor and C Major occurs 3 times before the Harmonic – Melodic change is introduced. This is important as the method of 3 statements of the same idea is a way of creating a reference point that makes the subsequent changes more satisfying. Think of all of those songs or pieces of music that have the same idea 3 times with an alteration in the fourth. (Kumbaya my lord springs to mind).
Now we enter the first piece of turbulence which covers the next four bars and, after a simple change to C Major and forward a fifth to G Major, comes a move from A Harmonic minor to E Harmonic minor, but instead of the basic shift forward through the circle of fifths, a more elaborate route is used to wander through the scales:
(A Harmonic minor – C Major – G Major ) - E Harmonic minor – E Melodic – E Major – E Harmonic Major – E Harmonic minor – E Hungarian minor – E Harmonic minor
You can see the idea now, an ascending sequence from E Harmonic minor to E Major, made up entirely of (+1) alterations: raise the 6th then 3rd, followed by (-1) alterations: flatten the 6th then the 3rd and then finally the add on that mirrors the end of the sequence in the first 8 bars, substituting the Hungarian minor for the Melodic scale. This creates a pleasing symmetry to the ear and has an organic feel to it, not a mere forced intellectual exercise but part of the overall scheme.
The next 4 bars has a struggle between E and A Harmonic minor scales with E eventually dominating from bar 16. The changes are:
E Harmonic minor – E Harmonic Major – A Melodic – A Harmonic minor – C Major – G Major – E Harmonic minor – E Hungarian minor B Harmonic Major – E Melodic – E Harmonic minor
The sequence makes clear that a clever transition into the relative Major from A minor only moves the music back into E minor again, like a frustrating move in wrestling that concludes with the same position as the starting one.
Then follows a restatement of the first invention, this time in E minor, with the alternation between E Harmonic minor and G Major and then the third time it changes, this time to E Neapolitan minor leading us back into A Harmonic minor again in bar 22.
So we have gone from A harmonic minor to E Harmonic minor back to A Harmonic minor and now bar 24 moves us back a fifth, this time into D minor with the D Melodic shown with the G natural and C# being played simultaneously followed by the Bb bringing us to our new home of D Harmonic minor.
Remember the importance of 3 times mentioned above, well now it reappears in D minor:
D Harmonic minor– D Melodic – C Major – F Major – D Harmonic minor – D Melodic – D Harmonic minor
Now Bach goes for the unexpected, and the change back to D Harmonic minor is now along the circuitous route with one of his trademark complex sequences that covers just bars 31 and 32:
D Harmonic minor – D Neapolitan minor – D Locrian natural 7 – D Neapolitan minor – G Hungarian minor – D Persian – D Harmonic Major b5 – D Harmonic Major – D Harmonic minor
Again, the wrestling move. This is a great way of spicing up any piece, the destination is the same as the point of departure, but the route is unusual, kind of like a walk out of your front door through streets you never take until you arrive back home again. The alterations are: b2, b5, nat 5, Maj 3rd, b2, b2, nat 5, min 3rd.
Bar 33 is all D Harmonic minor, remember the home key is still A minor, and now we make our way back. Bach never overstays in a key that is different to the signature for too long, and so we now get the sequence of:
D Harmonic minor – F Major – A Neapolitan minor – A Harmonic minor – A Hungarian minor – E Neapolitan minor – C Major – A Harmonic minor
Notice that Bach doesn’t resolve to A minor immediately, but rather he moves past the key towards the next in the circle of fifths, E minor, using the D# from A Hungarian minor to think we are going to E minor and then surprises us with the shift back to A minor via a G natural in the E Neapolitan minor scale, then a D natural in C Major ending with the G# in A Harmonic minor again in bar 35.
A little spell in C Major leads us into the next advanced sequence, beginning in bar 39 and it is a struggle between A minor and E minor:
E Neapolitan minor – E Neapolitan Major – E Neapolitan minor – E Harmonic minor – E Harmonic Major – A Hungarian minor – A Harmonic minor
Here, Bach raises the 6th, then flattens it, as if saying, no – that’s a dead end, then raises the 2nd and the 3rd and then flattens the 2nd to reach A Hungarian minor which then has its 4th flattened to get A Harmonic minor. This is then followed by a brief spell in the other key that was visited earlier, D minor:
A Harmonic minor – A Harmonic Major – D Hungarian minor – D Harmonic minor
Now here is where it enters new territory, injecting a bit of uncertainty into the music, with brief excursions that are back even more through the circle of fifths, visiting D minor – G minor – C minor and finally F minor in bars 41 – 44:
1) D Harmonic minor – D Harmonic Major – G Hungarian minor – G Harmonic minor
2) G Harmonic minor – G Harmonic Major – C Hungarian minor – C Harmonic minor
3) C Harmonic minor – C Harmonic Major – F Hungarian minor – F Harmonic minor
Look carefully at the sequence above. Bach is using a simple sequence repeating it exactly whilst moving back through the circle of fifths. It is one idea, and yet it takes up 4 bars of music, making it sound complex, but it really isn’t once you have uncovered the idea.
A really nice change now from F minor to D minor, taking advantage of the relationship between D and F, that being the relative Major and minor keys:
F Harmonic minor – F Harmonic Major – D Harmonic minor – D Melodic – A Harmonic Major – A Harmonic minor
The parallel change of F Harmonic minor to F Harmonic Major is followed by its relative minor of D Harmonic minor. Remember also that the Harmonic minor relatives are also enharmonic equivalent scales and so work well for that reason too:
D Harmonic minor = D E F G A Bb C# - F Harmonic Major = F G A Bb C Db E
There now follows a prolonged spell with multiple scales on a static root note of A, another favourite technique of Bach, reintroducing the home key but with constant fluctuations to keep you guessing:
A Harmonic minor – A Melodic – A Major – A Harmonic Major – A Harmonic minor – A Hungarian minor – A Harmonic minor
Four scales in total that have their root on A, with the route from A Harmonic minor to the A Harmonic minor at midpoint differing from the route back to the third A Harmonic minor. This is a circular sequence, returning to the same place but without any doubling back which is different to a symmetrical sequence, which would return in the same way as the first half but in reverse.
This brings us to the last 8 bars, and the last twinges into other keys before the home key of A minor is finally reached:
A Harmonic minor – A Harmonic Major – D Melodic – D Harmonic minor – F Major – C Major – A Harmonic minor – A Hungarian minor – A Neapolitan minor – A Harmonic minor
This brings us to the E Harmonic Major scale as the chord in bar 52 sounds, followed by E Harmonic minor, A Melodic and finally to rest at A Harmonic minor.
Another awesome piece of work by the maestro and one that is worthy of study and emulation. Next, only the fugue! What a musical mind this man had. Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for reading.
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