# I need help with the harmonization of this melody with ground bass



## FromBilbao

Hello. I'm a music student, relatively new to harmony. I'm trying to make an accompaniment bassed on the given ground bass for a melody of Purcell (Let each gallant heart).

In the first phrase I have found some things that don't fit in what I know about harmony.









Which chord could fit in the measure #5? With an E in the bass and C and A in the melody, I would say that is an A minor, but I think that it can't be in the 2. inversion.

And why is there a B flat in the next measure? What could be that?

In the measure #2, why can the sensible (B) resolve downwards, if it's located in the bass, which is an extreme voice?

Thank you very much


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## vsm

That's pretty easy FromBilbao... if you look, I guess in bar 6 the chord would be G minor (with the B flat at the top). Therefore, in the 5th bar, you'd have a C major with the bass E (C major 2nd inversion), then F major when the melody plays the A and the bass the F, then G minor. The G minor could also have a minor 7th applied which is pretty typical of Purcell  And then it gets back to C major in the subsequent bar.

That'd make sense to me. Does this make sense to you?


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## EdwardBast

Thanks Bilbaoian, this problem was a nice puzzle. Here's what I came up with:

View attachment 108450


So:
- Assuming the key is C major, I put I6 in measure 5.
- The Bb suggests a move to F major coming up(?)
- Not sure what you mean about the B in m.2
View attachment 108450


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## EdwardBast

Couldn't resist doing a variation in the minor mode after the first part:


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