A Crash-Course In Writing Fugues

How does one write a subject line?

Maybe instead i should ask, what are some common properties of good subject lines?

When composing a fugue subject, one should utilize a I-IV-V-I (for example: C-F-G-C; a-d-E-a) bass line sequence contained within your subject. This sequence may outline the entire subject, or only part of it.

Most traditional fugue subjects are not more than two measures and very rarely more than four (this all depends on the meter too, of course).

Usually the most workable subjects begin after beat one of the first measure (the measure beginning with some kind of a rest). While this is not required, it is MUCH easier to treat these type of subjects when first learning fugue.

Some conservative theorists think the best fugue subjects contain one very distinct interval within them (for example, the dropping diminished seventh in Mozart's Kyrie from the Requiem [which is actually a double fugue]) while the rest of the countersubjects move in steps; seldom jumping. This is an attractive classical fugue technique, however, not particularly daring and somewhat rigid by modern standards.

Hope that helped. =)

Hope that helped. =)

Definetly , thanks!

*trips*

This is one of the most useful threads we have here.

I think it should be pinned.

trip?
Though you're right - this is a great thread.

*Pinned*

I figure it's about time I posted this. I've been working on 3 fuges (this included) lately and some piano music besides. I think that amounts to musical whoredom but in any case I haven't given this the time I should have.

But that said, I still think it works.

This is a fuge on a Tonic,Mediant,Tonic,Mediant exposition format. The most unsatisfying moment imo is my harmonisation in 2 voices only - I had a real hard time doing that satisfactorily. It sounds..medieval. Other than that part of the exposition, I'm satisified with the rest.

Setting to Kyrie eleison.

Oh - at bar 20 I did a proper exposition (Tonic,Dominant,Tonic,Dominant) and followed that on to the end without looking back.

Fuge experts - if it isn't a fuge - please re-lable it and give your reasons why.

This is like, one of the best things I've ever seen on this site It really helped me a lot understanding fugues and fugal compositions, and it certainly helped me compose fugues. I has also helped me play fugues easier, as I now notice more easily what each voice does and why It really really really was helpful, and thanks for providing the community with that

On a quick note, another fugue - which is very famous, actually - which uses the sequence of tonic - subdominant -tonic etc. in the exposition is the fugue in Bach's G Minor Sonata for Solo Violin. While it's a fugue in a totally different league (after all, true polyphony on a violin is pretty much impossible) it is an example of a subject that strictly requires being answered in the subdominant. But even in the Well-Tempered Clavier, there are no fugues of this model, so the G Minor Sonata is somewhat an odd exception.

Furthermore, the question of why the sequence tonic - dominant - tonic actually establishes the tonic better than other sequences is because from a harmonic point of view, the dominant is the only scale degree leading to the tonic, and thereby creates a 'cadence' in the tonic. A perfect cadence is much more firm than a plagal one, as is easily heard by trying both out on a piano. Therefore, while I'm sure other sequences can work, they were not preferred by former fugue composers as tonality and harmony always came before polyphony, and the key had to be firmly established somehow.

Originally Posted by nojtje

On a quick note, another fugue - which is very famous, actually - which uses the sequence of tonic - subdominant -tonic etc. in the exposition is the fugue in Bach's G Minor Sonata for Solo Violin. While it's a fugue in a totally different league (after all, true polyphony on a violin is pretty much impossible) it is an example of a subject that strictly requires being answered in the subdominant. But even in the Well-Tempered Clavier, there are no fugues of this model, so the G Minor Sonata is somewhat an odd exception.

Furthermore, the question of why the sequence tonic - dominant - tonic actually establishes the tonic better than other sequences is because from a harmonic point of view, the dominant is the only scale degree leading to the tonic, and thereby creates a 'cadence' in the tonic. A perfect cadence is much more firm than a plagal one, as is easily heard by trying both out on a piano. Therefore, while I'm sure other sequences can work, they were not preferred by former fugue composers as tonality and harmony always came before polyphony, and the key had to be firmly established somehow.

Tonal answers, or the answer (or portion of) occurring a step below the customary dominant level occur when the 5th degree of the scale, or the dominant chord, occur early (within the beginning) in the subject. This is to avoid the abrupt harmonic change which occurs in the answer if it were a real transposition to the dominant (V of V chord in the case of the dominant being implied in the subject). Even when the 5th degree appears early and does not imply a dominant chord, it is customary to use a tonal answer. This is a practice which was carried over from the days of modal music where the imitation was to be kept within the range of the mode. The most famous example of a tonal answer is the BWV 565 Fugue in D minor of Bach (toccata and fugue in dm), where the 5th degree occurs so often throughout the whole subject, Bach gives it a fully tonal answer in other words completely in the subdominant key.