Clause (musical theme)
A clause is a kind of grammatical theme defined and described in richards-2016. It can be split up into 2 phrases: the presentation and the divergence.
It’s similar to a sentence in that the presentation takes the same form. It’s also similar to a period in that the second phrase has some sort of relationship to the opening basic idea. However, the difference is that the second phrase’s beginning idea is more different than the second idea in the first phrase. That is, A' is more similar to A than A2 is. (richards-2016 calls A2 a “developing idea”.) It should not feel like a return to A.
Some ways to go about writing A2:
- Different harmony (to move away from the presentation)
- Very similar rhythm
- Similar contour
- Similar intervals
Examples
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: Main Theme
A2 retains same motif, but very different harmony.
Gone with the Wind: Main Theme
A2:
- different harmony (ish)
- slight melodic changes
- different pitch level
The Accidental Tourist: Main Theme
A2:
- drastic harmony change
- harmonic rhythm increases (but melody stays very similar)
Imperial March
This one has a repeated divergence phrase. A2 is related to A through the “dotted 8th + 16th” rhythm.
The Big Country: Raid Theme
A2 has a similar melody but has a climax on Ab.
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