Schemas are basic musical patterns that composers and improvisers of the 18th century would learn and use as a simple basis for creating new music.

There are many types of patterns, and they are typically associated with a particular place or function within the music, for instance as a way of beginning.

Schemas are “stock musical phrases” (Gjerdingen 2007, 6) that act as melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic/metric skeletons for creating new music in the Galant style. We can apply the term "schema" in three specific ways. First, a schema is a prototype—an idealized version of a common pattern. Second, a schema can be an exemplar—a single pattern that resembles the prototype. Third, a schema can be a theory—an explanation of a commonly occurring musical event. All of these ideas go into how we understand schemas. We understand an individual pattern (exemplar) as a version of an ideal general pattern (prototype), and that relationship helps us understand how that pattern is functioning within a particular passage of music (theory).

Schemas are often given names, sometimes based on descriptions from earlier theorists (the Monte, Fonte, and Ponte were described by Joseph Riepel, for example) or, at other times, named after theorists themselves (the Meyer is named after Leonard Meyer).

Schemas are defined both by what happens in the schema and by where it typically appears in a piece. The "what" part involves two or more "stages" (basically, events) and includes:

melodic features, shown by scale degrees, usually for both the top (melodic) and bottom (bass) voices;

harmonic features, shown with figured bass notation

metric features, showing whether a stage occurs on a strong ("S") or weak ("W") beat of the bar

The "when" part basically distinguishes between schemas that are typically used to start a piece ("opening gambits"), as a "continuation," or as a concluding "cadence." This section introduces one of each type, and the Galant Schemas – Summary chapter sets out many more examples.

Opening Gambits Such as the Meyer

The Meyer is an example of an opening schema. It is four stages long: the first and last are tonic chords, and the two in the middle are not-tonics. Here's a summary of what the melody, harmony, and meter do during this schema:

Stage

1

2

3

4

Meter

W

S

W

S

Melody

do

\hat1

ti

\hat7

fa

\hat4

mi

\hat3

Bass

do

\hat1

re

\hat2

ti

\hat7

do

\hat1

Figures

^5_3

^4_3

^6_5

^5_3

Roman numerals

I

V

V

I

We can break this schema down into two parts, a first, opening one that moves from I to V:

Stage

1

2

Meter

W

S

Melody

do

\hat1

ti

\hat7

Bass

do

\hat1

re

\hat2

Figures

^5_3

^4_3

Roman numerals

I

V

... and a closing part moving back from V to I:

Stage

1

2

Meter

W

S

Melody

fa

\hat4

mi

\hat3

Bass

ti

\hat7

do

\hat1

Figures

^6_5

^5_3

Roman numerals

V

I

As the Galant Schemas – Summary chapter shows, there are many other schemas with a similar pattern to the Meyer, such as the Pastorella, the Jupiter, and the Aprile. In each of these cases, the schema starts with a tonic chord, moves away for two stages, and then returns to the tonic at the end. Like the Meyer, they are prototypes for the first phrase of an opening theme. As with the Meyer, the bass and harmonic structure are less fixed than the melody. The two central stages may articulate dominant harmony in all three schemas, and the second stage is also commonly accompanied by predominant harmony.

When each stage of a Meyer schema is given one measure of music, it is commonly found in the presentation or antecedent part of an opening theme. If those stages occur at the rate of two per measure, the Meyer may form a basic idea that would be followed by a closing gesture, such as the Prinner described below.

Closing Gestures Such as the Prinner

The Prinner is a typical response to an opening schema. It has four stages corresponding to four bass notes: fa – mi/me – re – do (\hat4–\hat3–\hat2–\hat1). The Prinner’s melody typically accompanies the bass in parallel tenths: la/le – sol – fa – mi/me (\hat6–\hat5–\hat4–\hat3). Harmonically, the fa (\hat4) and do (\hat1) bass notes tend to take ^5_3 chords while the two middle bass notes, mi/me (\hat3) and re (\hat2), take ^6_3 chords. There is often a 7–6 suspension on the third stage:

Stage

1

2

3

4

Meter

S

W

S

W

Melody

la/le

\hat6

sol

\hat5

fa

\hat4

mi/me

\hat3

Bass

fa

\hat4

mi/me

\hat3

re

\hat2

do

\hat1

Figures

5

6

7-6

I

Roman numerals

IV

I

vii

I

There are a few variants on the Prinner, including one that modulates to the dominant by using a version of the Prinner transposed up a fifth. In this version, the first stage of the Prinner is still a ^5_3 chord and can also still be viewed as a subdominant (IV) chord, but now relative to the dominant key.

The Prinner can also be used to modulate from the tonic to the dominant. This variant is called the Modulating Prinner:

Stage

1

2

3

4

Meter

S

W

S

W

Melody

mi

\hat3

re

\hat2

do

\hat1

ti

\hat7

Bass

do

\hat8

ti

\hat7

la

\hat6

sol

\hat5

Figures

^5_3

6

7-♯6

^5_3

RNs in the tonic key

I

V

vii/V

V

RNs in the dominant key

IV

I

vii

I

Other

Apart from schemas for opening and closing, others are typically used for "continuation" and "cadences," and we even have one common "post-cadential" type. The Galant Schemas – Summary chapter provides examples of the main types, along with information about further variants and details. Additionally, while abstract layouts like the tables above are best for setting out what these schemas are, it's obviously also useful to check them out in musical notation. Here is a simple realization for exploring the schemas discussed in these chapters:

Partimenti Prototypes With Chords by FourScoreAndMore

References

Gjerdingen