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Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom

Robert Hutchinson

Section 34.3 Writing Row Forms

To write specified row forms from a given prime form, write all four versions of the row: P, R, I, and RI. Then, simply transpose the specified row form to the correct pitch, remembering that P and I forms start on the pitch integer (P\(\text{}_{3}\) and I\(\text{}_{3}\) would begin on E♭, for example) while R and RI forms end on the pitch integer (R\(\text{}_{3}\) and RI\(\text{}_{3}\) would end on E♭).
To write I\(\text{}_{9}\) and RI\(\text{}_{5}\) if given P\(\text{}_{0}\):
  1. Write all four row forms (P, R, I, RI).
  2. Transpose the specified row form to the correct transposition level.
    1. In this example, transpose I\(\text{}_{0}\) up 9 semitones (a major 6th) to begin on A (pitch class 9).
    2. To write RI\(\text{}_{5}\), transpose RI\(\text{}_{0}\) up 5 semitones (a perfect 4th) so the last note is F (pitch class 5).
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