What harmony does this melody imply?

[athrun200]

I am doing some harmony exercises for piano. However, I encounter a strange melody (at least strange to me).

Here's the question, and the audio for it.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xcmetak8wu04nzy/Question.pdf?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/67ogetnjs9ofbeb/Question%20audio.mp3?dl=0
A melody is given and the pattern of piano is given at the beginning.
I need to finish the rest of the bars.

Here's my answer.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cel33xvnrlwv7d1/My%20Answer.pdf?dl=0

Bar 9 and bar 10, there are C natural there. I thought it is a passing note at the very beginning. But since there are two C naturals, the second one is even on the main beat, so it seems to me it implies a modulation.
However, I cannot find a suitable modulation to fit in this note.
Finally I use a chord iii to harmonize it.
It doesn't make sense to me though.

Any suggestions here?

[brogers70]

I hear those C naturals as part of a Neapolitan sixth chord, like an e minor chord but with the fifth raised a half step so that it's a C major chord. All you need to do is change the first bass note in measure 10 to a G instead of an A. See if that does not sound more interesting to you. I guess I'd also treat measure nine as iv rather than VI. Hmmm now thinking about it, I might make more changes - measure five as i, measure six as iv, seven as VII (as it is now), eight as i, nine as iv, ten as the vii+ (C major) then iv, measure eleven as V, and 12 as i.

Here's the wiki on Neapolitan. Not exactly what's going on here unless you think of the tonality as having modulated to b minor in bar 5, but it's close. I hear it that way, anyway. Take it for what it's worth.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neapolitan_chord

[athrun200]

Thanks for you advice.
But I have difficulty understanding the Neapolitan chord.

After reading the wiki article, I understand that Neapolitan chord is a chord II with flatted bass note.
So chord II in f# minor should be G#-B-D. When convert it to Neapolitan chord, it should be G-B-D.

Therefore, I don't quite understand the e minor chord that you mentioned. How is it related to the Neapolitan chord in f# minor?

Though I do understand that with a raised fifth, the e minor chord becomes C major chord.

[lelle]

It's because you are correct that the neopolitan sixth in F# minor is a chord consisting of B-D-G. Which also would be very fitting with the D7 harmony you have in the bar before, because it acts as a dominant to the neopolitan sixth (which is also heard as a G major chord).

For simplicity's sake I would possibly make the E major harmony in bar 7 resolve to an A major immediately instead of the deceptive cadance you have now, but it's up to you. It makes the implied progression of fifths in the following bars of E--A--D--G--C#--F# easier to follow.

I'm not convinced by your ii* harmony in bar 6. Why not continue the iv harmony you got there, which will then act as a minor dominant to the E major harmony in the next bar (then the complete harmonic progression to the A major in bar 8 will become the well known ii-V-I cadence)

Why is there a V with a 2 and a 4 in bar 1? Shouldn't it be V7?

[brogers70]

Thanks for you advice.
But I have difficulty understanding the Neapolitan chord.

After reading the wiki article, I understand that Neapolitan chord is a chord II with flatted bass note.
So chord II in f# minor should be G#-B-D. When convert it to Neapolitan chord, it should be G-B-D.

Therefore, I don't quite understand the e minor chord that you mentioned. How is it related to the Neapolitan chord in f# minor?

Though I do understand that with a raised fifth, the e minor chord becomes C major chord.

I think I was wrong here. The only way to call that C natural part of a C major and a Neapolitan sixth is to consider that there's been a modulation to b minor in measure 5. And I think that's a bit of a stretch. So I'd follow lelle's advice rather than mine.

[athrun200]

Why is there a V with a 2 and a 4 in bar 1? Shouldn't it be V7?

I think it is the difference between US system and UK system.
As far as I know, the first inversion of dominant seventh chord is indicated by V65 in US system and Vb.
Second inversion, V43 in US, Vc in UK
Third inversion, V42 in US, Vd in UK.

Guys, I have modified this exercise and made a recording of this.
Please enjoy
https://www.dropbox.com/s/azap5nmfwxbwned/2nd%20modification.pdf?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mxjbe14jf99633h/Chapter%205%20Exercise%202d%203.mp3?dl=0

The harmony finally makes sense to me now, it is basically a piece starts with f# minor and then modulate to A major and then G major and finally back to f#minor.

[brogers70]

Sounds good.