Sequence
A motive or phrase repeated at successive pitch levels, usually by a fixed interval
Related
A sequence repeats a motive or short phrase at a different pitch, usually moving by the same interval or scale step each time, so that the music gains direction. It may rise or fall and is common in transitions, development sections and codas.
A real sequence keeps the intervals exact and may leave the key; a tonal sequence adjusts them to the scale. A harmonic sequence shifts the same progression, often over a circle of fifths or a stepwise bass, until a cadence closes it.
A sequence is not a repetition. Repetition stays at the same pitch, while a sequence changes it; nor is a sequence necessarily a modulation, since it may pass through a new key without establishing a new tonic. Listen for where it starts, how far each step moves, and where it breaks off.
Sources
- 定义、类型与和声模进参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Sequence"；本文为原创表述
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