# Fugue



## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

Hello.
This is something I wrote last year. It was my first attempt at a fugue and I thought that it wasn't too bad for a first attempt, especially as I was twelve years old at the time.
There may be some errors in the score as I transferred it from Finale.
https://musescore.com/user/330331/scores/585286

Any feedback is, of course, welcome.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Wonderful little fugue! You definitely have an idea of what you are doing. Two things which will help in the future if you decide to write more music like this:

1. Learn the rules of motion. Things like parallel 5th and 8ves tend to sound weak, especially when modulation from one key to the next, but even so, intentionally "breaking the rules" can create some wonderful effects.

2. To fully establish a modulation to a new key, use a nice little V-I in the bass/lowest voice otherwise a new key isn't properly established because the tonic-dominant relationship hasn't been stated.

A little more advice: even on my point 2, every time a new "key" is used you don't necessarily have to fully modulate to it, especially when it comes to the introduction of voices. In Bach's C major fugue from Book 1, the second voice enters with not even a _hint_ of the dominant tonal centre in the first voice. Bach cleverly times the first F sharp (not necessarily meaning that the music has modulated to G major yet) towards the end of the first voice's countersubject right before the second voice begins.


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Wonderful little fugue! You definitely have an idea of what you are doing. Two things which will help in the future if you decide to write more music like this:
> 
> 1. Learn the rules of motion. Things like parallel 5th and 8ves tend to sound weak, especially when modulation from one key to the next, but even so, intentionally "breaking the rules" can create some wonderful effects.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much for your advice - I'm thinking of writing a new fugue soon, now that I have learnt some more theory.


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## Richannes Wrahms (Jan 6, 2014)

I liked some of the direct octaves.

You might like to check out Cherubini's very clean take on the matter: http://conquest.imslp.info/files/im...PMLP28705-Cherubini_Counterpoint_et_Fugue.pdf


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## Xenol (Sep 17, 2014)

Gotta love a fugue. Personally, I would have made the counter-subject a little more complicated, but it still works.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

MoonlightSonata said:


> Thank you very much for your advice - I'm thinking of writing a new fugue soon, now that I have learnt some more theory.


I would only add to CoAG's tips that your subject head here starts on the I and ends on the V degree of the scale -- that is a very short duration span to travel to the Dominant, the furthest "away from the Tonic" there is in basic common practice theory. That has your subject's head pretty hard locked-in even as it then proceeds to the tail.

That construct more readily 'locks in' the choices as to what the tail is and where that can lead to (i.e. both theoretically a bit locked-in, and locked in as per listener expectations as you have it set up.) I would guess the modulations are a bit more brusque than you might have hoped in this one, and 'opening up' the subject's head _and_ tail to something less I -V or I -IV allows more flexibility of 'where it can go' 

Try to write the next so the subject's 'head' ends up on something other than the fifth degree of the scale for more flexibility, the subject tail will be that much less locked in to I / V or IV, giving the basic materials that desired slightly greater degree of a bit of flexibility. _*Ambiguity*, in context of course and in varying degrees, can very much be your friend._

This first one written at age 12: Man, you've got a great hand in, and both oars in the water.

Count your blessings, _congratulate yourself on doing the necessary work, without which talent is a gift you cannot take any credit for,_ and Congrats!


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