A translation of the section Delle Dissonanze, o sia Legatura di settima, or suspension of the seventh in Fedele Fenaroli’s Partimenti ossia basso numerato, Book III, Naples (1775) Ed. Gjerdingen, with adaptions to the guitar.
Preparation
The preparation of the seventh, typically treated as a dissonance requiring resolution, may be accomplished through any of the four principal consonances: the octave, third, fifth, or sixth.
1. Preparation by the octave
Involves an ascent by step in the bass, as illustrated in the motion from ① to ②, in accordance with established contrapuntal practice.
(Refer to Example A: ① → ②)
2. Preparation by the third
Occurs through either an ascent by a fourth or a descent by a fifth, as seen in the progressions from ① to ④ or from ⑥ to ②. This reflects common procedures in both cadential and sequential contexts.
(Refer to Example B1: ① → ④ or B2: ⑥ → ②)
3. Preparation by the fifth
Is achieved through an ascent by a sixth or a descent by a third, such as in the movements from ① to ⑥ or ④ to ②, consistent with idiomatic voice-leading patterns.
(Refer to Example C1: ① → ⑥ or C2: ④ → ②)
4. Preparation by the sixth
Entails a stepwise descent in the bass, as exemplified by the motion from ③ to ②, often used where smooth melodic motion is desired.
(Refer to Example D1: ③ → ② or D2: ③ → ②)
It is important to observe that the seventh is generally supported by a third below, forming a characteristic dissonant vertical interval. Its resolution typically proceeds to either a consonant third or sixth.
A resolution to a third is effected through an ascent by a fourth or a descent by a fifth in the bass, following standard cadential models.
(Refer to Example D2: ③ → ② → ⑤)
A resolution to a sixth is achieved by retaining the same bass pitch beneath the tied seventh, a solution frequently encountered in suspensive contexts.
(Refer to Example D1: ③ → ②)
Note: In Partimenti ossia basso numerato, Book III (ed. Gjerdingen), only examples in the major key are provided. I have applied the same principles to the minor key examples below.
Now follows each of the variants A through D,
presented in six common major and minor key signatures.
This concludes this essay on the suspension of the seventh as instructed by Fedele Fenaroli in his Partimenti ossia basso numerato. You can download this essay as a PDF for free.
Karl Michelson 