There are many different schemas. This chapter provides an introductory overview of the main ones along with some (brief) discussion of variants and details.
We begin with an at-a-glance summary of some important schemas, then proceed to set out each of the schemas listed one by one.
Overall Short Summary
Musical notation
Here are files in musical notation with all the schemas listed on this page:
With chordal realizations: .mscz.mscz), .mxl.mxl), .pdf.pdf)
Without chords (outer voices only): .mscz.mscz), .mxl.mxl), .pdf.pdf)
These files provide a set of schemas, with the constituent parts set out as prototypically as is possible in musical notation: that is, with melody and figured bass lines, along with (in the first file's case) chords in a middle part realizing those figures. Musical notation is obviously useful, though really, schemas are prototypes that exist apart from any specific realization, so the more abstract representations in tables and the like are better in some ways. That's why you'll see them set out in this fashion here and in other literature on this topic.
Summarizing table
Itemized List
Opening Gambits
Romanesca
Stage
1
2
3
4
Meter
S
W
S
W
Melody
do
\hat1
sol
\hat5
do
\hat1
do
\hat1
Bass
do
\hat1
ti
\hat7
la
\hat6
mi
\hat3
Figures
5
6
5
6
Roman numerals
I
V
vi
I
Do–Re–Mi
Stage
1
2
3
Meter
S
W
S
Melody
do
\hat1
re
\hat2
mi
\hat3
Bass
do
\hat1
ti
\hat7
do
\hat1
Figures
5
6
5
Roman numerals
I
V
I
Many of the schemas involve two steps that can be considered schemas on their own. These often take the form of question-answer pairs.
Here, we have the Do–Re opening part as the opening question:
Stage
1
2
Meter
S
W
Melody
do
\hat1
re
\hat2
Bass
do
\hat1
ti
\hat7
Figures
5
6
Roman numerals
I
V
That Do–Re is answered by the Re–Mi:
Stage
1
2
Meter
W
S
Melody
re
\hat2
mi
\hat3
Bass
ti
\hat7
do
\hat1
Figures
6
5
Roman numerals
V
I
The Do–Re–Mi may also appear in a four-stage version by putting those constituent parts back together. This basically involves doubling up the central stage of the three-stage version.
Sol–Fa–Mi
Stage
1
2
3
4
Meter
W
S
W
S
Melody
sol
\hat5
fa
\hat4
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
Bass
do
\hat1
re
\hat2
ti
\hat7
do
\hat1
Figures
5
5
6/5
5
Roman numerals
I
ii
V
I
Again, this comprises two parts.
Opening part (Sol–Fa):
Stage
1
2
Meter
W
S
Melody
sol
\hat5
fa
\hat4
Bass
do
\hat1
re
\hat2
Figures
5
5
Roman numerals
I
ii
Answering part (Fa–Mi):
Stage
1
2
Meter
W
S
Melody
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
Bass
ti
\hat7
do
\hat1
Figures
6
5
Roman numerals
V
I
This schema may also appear with the harmony slightly altered, as follows:
Stage
1
2
3
4
Meter
W
S
W
S
Melody
sol
\hat5
fa
\hat4
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
Bass
do
\hat1
re
\hat2
ti
\hat7
do
\hat1
Figures
5
6
6/5
5
Roman numerals
I
vii
V
I
Meyer
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
6/4/3
6/5
5
Roman numerals
I
V
V
I
Opening part:
Stage
1
2
Meter
W
S
Melody
do
\hat1
ti
\hat7
Bass
do
\hat1
re
\hat2
Figures
5
6,4,3
Roman numerals
I
V
Closing part:
Stage
1
2
Meter
W
S
Melody
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
Bass
ti
\hat7
do
\hat1
Figures
6,5
5
Roman numerals
V
I
Aprile
Stage
1
2
3
4
Meter
S
W
S
W
Melody
do
\hat1
ti
\hat7
re
\hat2
do
\hat1
Bass
do
\hat1
re
\hat2
ti
\hat7
do
\hat1
Figures
5
6,4,3
6,5
5
Roman numerals
I
V
V
I
Jupiter
Stage
1
2
3
4
Meter
S
W
S
W
Melody
do
\hat1
re
\hat2
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
Bass
do
\hat1
ti
\hat7
sol
\hat5
do
\hat1
Figures
5
6
5
5
Roman numerals
I
V
V
I
Pastorella
Stage
1
2
3
4
Meter
S
W
S
W
Melody
mi
\hat3
re
\hat2
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
Bass
do
\hat1
sol
\hat5
sol
\hat5
do
\hat1
Figures
5
5
7
5
Roman numerals
I
V
V
I
Answer/Process/Transition
Prinner and Modulating Prinner
Stage
1
2
3
4
Meter
S
W
S
W
Melody
la
\hat6
sol
\hat5
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
Bass
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
re
\hat2
do
\hat1
Figures
5
6
7-6
I
Roman numerals
IV
I
vii
I
A slight variant on this inserts a root-position dominant before the final stage:
Stage
1
2
3
4
5
Meter
S
W
S
W
S
Melody
la
\hat6
sol
\hat5
fa
\hat4
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
Bass
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
re
\hat2
sol
\hat5
do
\hat1
Figures
5
6
7–6
7
5
Roman numerals
IV
I
vii
V
I
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
6
7-♯6
5
Roman numerals
I
V
vii/V
V
Again, this can come with an additional root-position dominant:
Stage
1
2
3
4
5
Meter
S
W
S
W
S
Melody
mi
\hat3
re
\hat2
do
\hat1
do
\hat1
ti
\hat7
Bass
do
\hat1
ti
\hat7
la
\hat6
re
\hat2
sol
\hat5
Figures
5
6
7–♯6
7/♯
5
Roman numerals
I
V
vii/V
V/V
V
Fonte
Stage
1
2
3
4
Meter
W
S
W
S
Melody
sol
\hat5
fa
\hat4
fa
\hat4
mi
\hat3
Bass
di
\uparrow\hat1
re
\hat2
ti
\hat7
do
\hat1
Figures
6/5
5
6/5
5
Roman numerals
V/ii
ii
V
I
The Fonte has a strong relation to the Meyer and indeed to the cycle of fifths. This effectively tonicizes the A minor key (e.g., the supertonic minor) and then a major key a tone below (the overall tonic). The modular part is just one of those tonicizations:
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
Monte
Stage
1
2
3
4
Meter
W
S
W
S
Melody
do-te
\hat1-\downarrow\hat7
la
\hat6
re-do
\hat2-\hat1
ti
\hat7
Bass
mi
\hat3
fa
\hat4
fi
\uparrow\hat4
sol
\hat5
Figures
6/5
5
6/5
5
Roman numerals
V/IV
V
V/V
V
Like the Fonte, the Monte also goes through two tonicizations with a sequential treatment of a modular half:
Stage
1
2
Meter
W
S
Melody
sol-fa
\hat5-\hat4
mi
\hat3
Bass
ti
\hat7
do
\hat1
Figures
6/5
5
Roman numerals
V
I
Ponte
Stag