Fundamental structure

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In Schenkerian analysis, the fundamental structure (German: Ursatz) is a specific musical pattern that occurs at the most remote (or "background") level of structure. A basic elaboration of the tonic triad, it consists of the fundamental line accompanied by the bass arpeggiation. Hence the fundamental structure, like the fundamental line itself, takes one of three forms, according to which tonic triad pitch is the primary tone. The following is an example in C major, with the fundamental line descending from scale degree 3:

[edit] Fundamental line

The fundamental line (German: Urlinie) is the melodic aspect of the Fundamental structure (Ursatz), "a stepwise descent from one of the triad notes to the tonic":

^ ^ ^  ^ ^ ^ ^ ^     ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
3-2-1, 5-4-3-2-1, or 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

with the bass arpeggiation being the harmonic aspect. (Middleton 1990, p.193)

[edit] Source

• Middleton, Richard (1990/2002). Studying Popular Music. Philadelphia: Open University Press. ISBN 0-335-15275-9.

[edit] Further reading

• Cadwallader, Allen and Gagné, David. Analysis of Tonal Music: A Schenkerian Approach. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Schenker, Heinrich. Free Composition. Ernst Oster, tr. and ed. New York: Longman.