Analysis of the 8-Measure Piece

Although it is a piece of music consisting of only 8 measures, there are many things to consider.

Harmonic Structure

Firstly, the lowest note, F, functions as a pedal point (or organ point/sustained note) in this piece. Therefore, when performing harmonic analysis, there will be measures where this F must be excluded from consideration. When considering the piece without the F, measures 1-4 follow a I-I-IV-I progression (tonic, tonic, subdominant, tonic), and the latter half, measures 5-8, follows the same pattern. This should be kept in mind first.

Phrase Direction and Tension

This piece can be considered as having two phrases: measures 1-4 and measures 5-8. For each of these two phrases, there is a question of which measure should establish the direction. According to the aforementioned harmonic analysis, the third measure in both phrases is the subdominant, and thus, the tension in this measure could be considered to heighten.

However, looking solely at the melodic line, in both phrases, the initial two measures are at the highest point, from which the melody descends. In this case, it can be considered that the initial two measures have the highest tension, and the rest then declines.

The author experimented with various approaches, but prioritizing the melodic line felt more natural (i.e., making the initial two measures the loudest).

Articulation

Regarding articulation, notes falling on the strong beats should be played staccato. This articulation is believed to allow the music to progress most smoothly. From the weak beat to the strong beat, play legato, and the quarter note on the strong beat should be staccato.