Renaissance chord sequences (grounds)

Harmonic structures on which much Renaissance music was based.

Renaissance music was based on modes, rather than the keys we are familiar with today. It evolved from polyphonic and contrapuntal forms, mostly liturgical, where horizontal lines (voices) overlapped. Earlier, music was based on the intervals of octaves and fifths, but gradually thirds and sixths became acceptable. Chords arose from the overlapping notes being considered vertically, at a point in time, enabling us to analyse them in modern terms – although that would not have been how the composers or listeners thought of them. You can read an accessible account of Renaissance music here, and of course on Wikipedia.

The popular music of the 16th century such as songs and dances seems often to have been based on common grounds (bass lines and harmonic sequences), at least in the original statement of a theme. As I encounter ground types, and their variants, I will record them here for future reference.

In a more modern context the equivalent to grounds might be "blues in F" or "New York changes".

In the charts below chords are named by the position of their roots on the scale, as Roman numerals; so in the key of C major, for example, C = I, D = II, B♭ = ♭VII, and so on. Minor chords are shown as lower-case numerals: e.g. Cm = i. Note that, for example, E♭in the key of C minor is♭III in C major.

In minor keys, the final bars were often modified to the tonic major: the tierce de picardie.

The boxes below may not represent bars/measures: each chord may be extended over several bars, or compressed into part of a bar. Composers, being creatives, might also have re-arranged these sequences. 

Passamezzo antico (p. a.)

i	VII	i	V
III	VII	i    V	i

Also found in major keys. Commonest key Gm.

Major key variant

I	♭VII	I	V
♭III	♭VII	I V	I

Robinson New Citharen Lessons No. 16 'Passamezo Pauan"

i (V)	VII	i (V)	V
III	VII	V, I, IV, V	I, V, I

Robinson voiced the i chord without the third, but the I chords have B-natural.

In Mulliner f120v... "Pavan on p.a." (Cm)

i II	VII	i I IV	V
III	VII	i IV V	I

Anon "Greensleeves" (Lute Society) 

i	VII	i VI	V
i	VII v	i V	i
VII	VII	i	V
i	i v	i V	I

Cutting f. 29 "Greensleeves" variation

i	VII V	i	ii V
i IV	VII	i V	i
VII i	VII	i	ii iv V
i	IV	i V	I

Henry VIII (?) "Pastyme ..." §1

i	VII v	VII i V	i
i	VII i v	III VII i	v V i

Osborne f. 43r No 18. "Galliard on p.a."

i	VII	i II	i V
i	VII	i V	I

In Osborne f. 43 No. 17 "Pasy measure"

i	VII	i	v
i	VII	i	I
i IV	VII	i iv	V
i IV	VII	i V	I

In Osborne f. 42v – 43r No 16 "Queen Marie's Dump"

i	VII	i VII iv	V
i	VII	i V	I
i	VII	i V	I
i	VII	i V	I

In Osborne t. 40r No. 4 "Pardye"

I	bVII	I	V
I	bVII	i V	i
Coda I : IV I V I	V I IV	I	Finish

Osborne f. 43r No 18. "Galliard on p.a."

i	VII	i II	i V
i	VII	i V	I

Romanesca 

(a development of the above)

III	VII	i	V
III	VII	i    V	i

Major key variant

I	♭VII	I	V
♭III	♭VII	I V	I

Narváez "Diferencias sobre 'Guardame ...' "

Follows the minor format exactly.

Mudarra (via Cripps) "O guádarme las vacas" (statement)

III	VII	i	V
III	VII	i	i V	IV	V

Later variations in the piece vary

Le Roy Instruction ... Exercise

♭III	♭VII	I	V
♭III	♭VII	I V	I

Le Roy Livre 3... Tourdion

III	VII	i	V
III	VII	i V	i

Passamezzo moderno

I	IV	I	V
I	IV	I    V	I

Occurs in this form in:

Le Roy Instruction ... Exercise

Osborne f. 40 No.2 "The hedgynge hay"

Dallis via Lute Society "Passamezzo", "Passemezzo d'Italie"

Bergamesca 

(Conte clare: the first three chords)

I

IV

V

I

repeated 3 times

Folia (later)

i	V	i	VII	III	VII	i	V
i	V	i	VII	III	VII	i    V	i

In one version of the folia the first i-chord in each line is omitted.

Le Roy Livre 3 ... "Pavane de la gamba" – later sections deviate greatly

V	V	i	VII	III	VII	VI	V
i VII III	VII III	VII VI	V	i III	VII III	VII VI	V
i III	VII	VI V	I	i III	VII iv	VI V	I

Mulliner Book ff. 119v – 120v "Chi passa"

V x 2

i x 2

VII

VII i ii

III iv VII

iv V

i V

I

Andalusian "cadence"

Major key	vi	V	IV	III
Melodic minor	i	VII	VI	V
Harmonic minor	i	♭VII	VI	V

Often used as an ostinato (repeating pattern) in a downward direction. Similar to the Passamezzo antico.


Last updated 26/7/2020. Apologies for any infelicities in the layout – I seem to be over-stretching the capabilities of the Blogger software.