1. Finding the Answer
A lecture on the subject of
answers

2. What is a fugal answer?
 Follows the subject, with the same
thematic material.
 Transposed a 5th higher than the
subject.
 Can be an exact transposition, or can
be altered slightly.

3. The two types of Answers
 Real Answer
 Intervals are transposed by a 5th (up or
down)
 A 5th higher is the same pitch as a 4th lower.
 All linear intervals are maintained.
 Tonal Answer
 A few linear intervals are altered to keep it
in the tonic key area.

4. How does one choose between a
real or a tonal answer?
Read on….

5. Use a tonal answer if…
 Scale degree five is at or near the
beginning of the subject.
 Usually within first beat or two.
 The subject modulates at the end.
 If it does, it will almost always go to the
dominant.
 A leap of a 5th is present early in the
subject.

6. Real or Tonal Answer?
Try these examples from the Well-
Tempered Clavier

7. WTC Book 1, Fugue 1
 Real answer
 Scale degree 5 is not early in the subject
 It is also rather unimportant when it enters
 The subject does not modulate
 It begins and ends in C

8. WTC Book 1, Fugue 2
 Tonal Answer
 Scale degree 5 appears on beat 2

9. WTC Book 1, Fugue 3
 Tonal Answer
 Scale degree 5 is the first pitch

10. WTC Book 1, Fugue 4
 Real answer
 Scale degree 5 does not appear
 The subject does not modulate
 In c#, it begins and ends on c#

11. Are you comfortable with this..
Emotionally?

12. Remember….
 Real answer is an exact transposition of
the subject up a 5th (or down a 4th)
 Tonal answer is a transposition that is
modified slightly
 Required if…
 Scale degree 5 is near the beginning of the
subject
 The subject modulates

13. In the next lesson…
We’ll learn how to write a tonal
answer