Sonatina Assignment

This composition would be excellent for your e-portfolio or grad school application.

Models: Clementi, Haydn and Mozart

Think CLARITY and SIMPLICITY, e.g. simple motives, themes, scales and arpeggios.

Write for piano so your piece can be performed in class. The texture will be mostly one note at a time in each hand.

Choose a major key with few accidentals and a simple time signature (i.e. 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4).

Begin this assignment with a blueprint. Do not randomly stack bricks and nail boards together.

SONATA EXPOSITION DIAGRAM (4 Principal Sections):
First Theme - establishes tonic - grabs attention
Transition - begins on tonic, but ends on V of V (or dominant) - often begins like the first theme
Second Theme - establishes dominant - is typically more lyrical than the opening
Closing Section - reaffirms dominant - employs cadential figures (much V of V followed by V)

SONATA DEVELOPMENT:
– often begins on V
– may be shorter than the exposition
– usually modulates to a few closely related keys through the circle of fifths, harmonic sequences and/or mediant relationships
– typically develops motives and themes from the exposition (See “Developmental Processes”.)
– ends with a retransition, a section which prepares for the return of tonic
– ends on V or V7

SONATA RECAPITULATION DIAGRAM (4 Principal Sections):
First Theme - may be identical to the exposition’s first theme
Transition - begins on tonic, but ends on either V or I - resembles the exposition’s transition
Second Theme - may be an exact transposition of the exposition’s second theme to the tonic key
Closing Section - may be an exact transposition of the exposition’s closing section to the tonic key

Phrases may be symmetrical and in antecedent/consequent pairs.

You might begin with a lead sheet (melody + chord symbols). Sing or play your melodies (themes) and ask yourself how you can make them better.

The harmony should be simple, mostly predominant-dominant-tonic progressions manifested through block chords, arpeggios, alberti bass left hand accompaniments and scales or scale fragments.

Use dissonances sparingly, too much spice will ruin the meal. (Dissonances are still 2nds, 4ths above the lowest note, 7ths, diminished intervals and augmented intervals.) In 2 part writing, employ primarily 3rds and 6ths.

Remember the writing rules.