First of all, I would like to alert you that I edited my second secondary dominant example, keeping the harmonies in an attempt to make the III+6 more convincing. But I think the problem is that it is a very new chord for you. Either way, I will be teaching about it eventually
.
First, however, I will discuss corrections. I liked the sound of all of them, especially your V/ii and V/vi exercises. I was, however, bothered to find upon closer inspection a dangerous amount of parallels. My criteria for parallels is much more liberal than some composers of the Classical period: in the Renaissance and Baroque many parallels were easily accepted as long as they were hidden with arpeggiation or other intervening material.
There were not, however, outright parallels unless the composer was sure no other solution would respect the musical vision. For beginners like you and me, this means we must train well now in exercises like these to avoid them, so that in real music we can focus on melody and expression. As someone who has battled with this extensively, I can say that with practice, avoiding parallels almost becomes subconscious. I found at least six parallel fifths and octaves; I think it might be a good idea for you to
check those exercises and find and correct all of the parallels.
Also the dominant chord in bar three (after the V/V) really needs a 3rd and can easily get one in the tenor.
That said, it's nothing to worry about. Its not really what our lessons are about, and I think you are showing some true understanding with these progressions. I was
extremely impressed to see the Bb Major chord before V/ii. Could you explain why you used it?
VOICE LEADING SECONDARY DOMINANTS
Even in dense four part harmony, all of the voices often have clear melodic trajectories. In a contrapuntal piece, all of the voices should have excellent and different curves to them. Whether approaching homophony or polyphony, Baroque composers often thought in terms of melody above all other aspects of music.
Thus to study secondary dominants, we must see how their extraordinary feature, their leading tone, their third, is used in melody.
Please open the attached file "Secondary Dominants - Voice Leading." The repeats divide the file into numbered examples I will refer to.
Example 1 shows the chromatic tone used in a stepwise pattern, somewhat like a passing tone. Border tone figures are also very common. Example 2 shows another stepwise pattern, this time composed exclusively of semitones. Both approaches are common whether the altered tone is in a florid melodic part or in an accompaniment.
Examples 5 and 6 illustrate how those approaches can be harmonized. Notice how the 7th can sometimes very conveniently be used. Example 5 is a sort of deceptive progression, and example 6 shows a root motion down by a third then up by a fifth, very common when a line rises by semitone.
Examples 3 and 4 have the leading tone approached by a leap. Note that in instrumental music, the melodic diminished fifth or fourth that may result is often acceptable. In example four, we see one leading tone deceptively resolving by a whole step to another leading tone. Notice carefully how I harmonize that in example 7, where V/ii makes an altered deceptive cadence to V/iii, a beautiful effect. Also notice how I retained the root of V/ii to become the 7th of V42/iii.
Some special sequences and voice leading patterns became almost traditional in the Baroque period. Example 8 shows the circle of fifths varied with secondary dominants. Notice the pattern where a leading tone resolves extraordinarily downwards, becoming the seventh of the next dominant. In a sequence like this the ear may loose track of the tonality; the music can continue indefinitely like this and jump off the sequence at any desired key.
A variation of that sequence can harmonize descending chromatic lines. Also, the circle of fifths can be varied in any way imaginable, using secondary dominants and leading tone chords as well as normal triads and sevenths.
Example 10 is a common embellishment to the deceptive cadence:
V V6/vi vi
Once again the bass moves upwards by semitone.
Finally, example 11 in E minor shows how a rising chromatic line in the bass can be harmonized by alternate 5 and 6 chords (you do know figured bass, right?), a favorite during the 17th century.
These are just the beginnings of the common ways secondary dominants were voice-led. All of these should be tools available for you to use, so they should ALL be carefully studied and mastered. Pay attention to how I managed every note, and, just as important, pay attention to their sound, their harmonic effect. Study other formulas in your favorite music. Use some of these in your remaining exercises
. Above all make sure they are used appropriately; don't unnaturally force them in, and you will find that they will write themselves into the music.
I will assign analysis exercises after we finish the tiny four part harmony assignments.
And I have links here to scores of some of the pieces we discussed:
Domenico Zipoli - Canzona e Minor
http://icking-music-archive.org/scor...Canzona_Em.pdf
J. H. Rameau - Suite in a Minor - Sarabande
http://icking-music-archive.org/scor..._Sarabande.pdf
J. H. Rameau - Suite in a Minor - Gavotte and Doubles
http://icking-music-archive.org/scor...Gavotte_Am.pdf
It turns out that the progression I thought this featured is actually
not here. But if you want, it might be a good exercise for you to
analyze the harmonies of the gavotte itself. The doubles are all variations on the gavotte and thus share the exact same progression.