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Music vocabulary · Melody, Form and Songwriting

Consequent phrase

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, consequent phrase means: The second, answering phrase of a musical period, usually ending with a stronger sense of closure than the first, antecedent phrase.

In Turkish: cevap cümlesi, sonraki cümle

How it is used

Used in melodic analysis and composition. Compare its opening material and final cadence with those of the antecedent phrase.

Example sentences

  1. The consequent phrase repeats the opening rhythm but ends firmly on the tonic.

    Similar opening material connects the phrases while the stronger ending supplies the answer.

  2. Leave room for the consequent phrase when shaping the first four bars.

    The performer avoids making the opening sound final before its answering phrase arrives.

Common collocations

  • antecedent and consequent phrase
  • consequent phrase ending
  • identify the consequent phrase
  • antecedent phraseThe first phrase in a paired musical idea, often ending with a weaker cadence that invites a following answer.
  • cadenceA pair of chords that ends a musical phrase or section, giving a sense of rest or of a pause, like punctuation in a sentence.
  • melodyA sequence of single notes that forms a recognisable musical line, often the part that people remember and sing along to.

More terms: Melody, Form and Songwriting

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