Antecedent and Consequent Phrases - Music Composition

How to write and compose music with antecedent and consequent phrases, particularly useful when composing melodies. This music composition lesson explains how musical phrases often come in pairs as questioning and answering phrases or as antecedent and consequent phrases. Much music is organised with single phrases but often phrases come in pairs to create musical balance - the first phrase poses a musical question, while the second provides a response. The formal term for this is antecedent and consequent. In this music composition lesson the technique is demonstrated. If you’re a performer you’ll learn how to recognise it in the music you play and it will help to make expressive sense in your interpretation of the music. If you’re a composer it’s a most worthwhile technique to employ in order to avoid your music getting stuck. It also assists those engaged in musical analysis. Lots of examples will be heard during the video and you’ll soon be tuned in to antecedent and consequent phrases.

🕘 Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction to answering phrases
1:38 - An antecedent phrase
2:58 - Writing a consequent phrase
5:38 - Hearing them both together

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[jarrahtree]

I really like your setup and teaching style. It's very clean and easy to follow. Keep it up!

[lawrencetaylor]

Things are finally beginning to make sense. You have a great teaching style.

[alanisisamess]

This really helped with my first orchestral compostition, thanks :D

[teamtomii]

Great video, easy to understand, thank you!

[samadhijayawardena]

As a blooming musician i found this very helpful

[dgates]

Wow, thank you!!

Not just for the video topic, but for telling us the notes and intervals... that helps me visualize it!

[teamyordle]

You make music lessons enjoyable. Thank you so much.

[niroshiniindima]

I'm a music learner from Sri Lanka and I found your video very helpful. Thank you very much ☺️

[ashinsa]

Thank you so much sir! This the best material I found to learn about answering phrases.

[Rainersclarinet]

Thank you! You helped me a lot in understanding the phrasing.

[roncallahan]

Never in my life would i ever have thought that one day i would chuckle at the phrase...."they identify"
He was talking about notes identifying with each other which meant something totally different when he made this video 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[thegreenmachabear]

Thank you so much! This helped me so much in my school

[vskmusic]

Good explanation, could you please explain about the sonata from please

[lindamcdermott]

As a piano teacher, i appreciate this !

[chrismunroe]

Another excellent video. Would it make sense to write a longer call response, such as two 16 bar phrases? Ate the principles the same with a longer phrase?

[linneaqua]

I was looking for something to help me for melody writing in music theory (examination less than a month.... :(...) this is really helpful thanks!

[hypnoxgaming]

I really appreciate you. I hope all is well. I just started teaching myself to play (guitar) last year. I'm happy I'm able to watch these videos and understand most if it. These videos keep me eager to learn. Thank you

[sweetygoyal]

Very useful in melody writing ...
But have a request to make videos with differnt time signature and scales.
Thank you 😊

[mvmarchiori]

How do you name a phrase that begins on the ending note of the previous phrase? I know it has a term, but i cant remember which
eg. chopin nocturne op32 n2, bar 5 to 6. Thanks a lot in advance!

edit: I believe I was searching for "elision". Thanks anyway (y)