Cambiata

Cambiata, or nota cambiata (Italian for changed note), has a number of different and related meanings in music. Generally it refers to a
pattern in a homophonic or polyphonic (and usually contrapuntal) setting of a melody where a note is skipped from (typically by an
interval of a third) in one direction (either going up in pitch or going down in pitch) and this is followed by the note, and then by motion
in the opposite direction (in pitch), and where either the note skipped from is distinguished as a dissonance or the note skipped to is
distinguished as a non-harmonic or non-chordal tone. With regards to music pedagogical activities and species counterpoint, it refers to
a more specific set of patterns.

The cambiata is also calledchanging note in English, though the literal meaning of the Italian is changed note.[1] It is not to be confused
with changing tones, which resolve to the original note. The terminology used in other languages (G. Wechselnote, Fr. note de rechange)
all of which relate to the concepts of "change" or "exchange".

Contents
In species counterpoint
Outside species counterpoint
See also
Notes
References and external links

In species counterpoint
In species counterpoint, the dissonant cambiata can be called an idiom in that it is considered an acceptable pattern even though it
breaks a rule, in this case, that of skipping from a dissonance. The dissonance in the dissonant cambiata is approached by descending
step and occurs on a weak half or quarter of the beat; the skip from the dissonance must be a descending third to a consonance; and this
consonance must be followed by some number of ascending steps. This means there are only three possible essential dissonant
cambiatas in third species: Two above the cantus firmus, with vertical intervals 8-7-5-6 (Ex.1) and 6-b5-3-4 (Ex.2); and one below the
C.F., with 3-4-6-5 (Ex.3).

Example 1 Play ]] Example 2 Play ]] Example 3 Play ]]

The consonant cambiata is not considered an idiom like the dissonant version as it does not break any rules of species counterpoint by
itself. There are two consonant cambiatas in third species: One above the C.F., with 6-5-3-4; and one below, with 5-6-8-7. Whereas,
when dealing with species counterpoint, the dissonant cambiata is frequently called, simply, cambiata, the consonant cambiata is rarely
called cambiata at all.
The inverted cambiata is a cambiata where the melodic movement of the contrapunctus is inverted; where the dissonant cambiata has a
skip down a third, the inverted cambiata has a skip up a third, etc. There are both dissonant and consonant inverted cambiatas. There are
three dissonant inverted cambiatas in third species: One above the C.F., with 3-4-6-5; and two below, with 8-7-5-6 and 6-b5-3-4. There
are two consonant inverted cambiatas in third species: One above the C.F
., with 5-6-8-7; and one below, with 6-5-3-4.

In fifth species, cambiatas need not be quarter-note lines added to whole-note cantus firmi as in these examples, which is only a
requirement of the third species, but could take many different rhythmic forms. Rhythmically, it is only essential that the dissonance that
is skipped from be in a weak position, when not considering any other rules which may apply. This means further that the cambiatas
need not have the same pattern of vertical intervals that the cambiatas in third species have. Example 4 shows a dissonant cambiata in
fifth species.

Example 4 Play

Outside species counterpoint

Outside species counterpoint, what is considered a cambiata varies. What is common to all is that a note is skipped from in one direction
and this is followed by motion in the opposite direction, and either the note skipped from is distinguished as a dissonance or the note
skipped to is distinguished as a non-chordal tone. This means that three aspects of cambiata in species counterpoint—that the note which
is skipped from must be preceded by a step, that the skip be a third, and that the note which is skipped to must be followed by a step in
the opposite direction of the skip—are not necessarily all true for all patterns which are considered cambiatas. For example, a pattern in
two-voice counterpoint, similar to the dissonant or dissonant inverted cambiata in species counterpoint, but which only does not follow
the dissonance which is skipped to with a step in the opposite direction, but rather with a skip in the opposite direction, is still called a
cambiata. This is shown in Example 5, which is fromGuerrero's Ex. 16-15.

Example 6 shows a cambiata at * as a nonharmonic tone which is skipped to, rather than as a dissonance which is skipped from. It is
approached by a skip in one direction and left by step in the opposite direction. The same pattern occurs at (*), and this too may be
considered a cambiata, but might not if the chord is considered a major seventh rather than a triad, and so the note would not be
nonharmonic.

Example 5 Play Example 6 Play

See also
List of ornaments
Echappée
Notes
1. William Drabkin. "Nota cambiata". In L. Root, Deane.Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University
Press. (subscription required)

References and external links

Peter Schubert. Modal Counterpoint, Renaissance Style. Oxford University Press, 1999.ISBN 0-19-510912-0
What is cambiata?
Cambiata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cambiata&oldid=799938612

"

This page was last edited on 10 September 2017, at 18:29.

Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of theWikimedia Foundation,
Inc., a non-profit organization.