The ‘Anchoring vi Schema’ and its relation to phrase rhythm in popular music

In order to reveal normative prototypes undergirding various formal sections, this article introduces the ‘Anchoring vi Schema’: a medium length major-mode passage (typically eight or 16 bars) that initiates on an unambiguous hypermetric downbeat (for example, the beginning of a verse or chorus). The Anchoring vi Schema must begin with tonic harmony and deploy submediant harmony at its midpoint – the second most hypermetrically strong beat. The identification of the Anchoring vi Schema enables closer readings of phrase expansion and deletion in popular music. A comparison of the common harmonies used in eight- and 16-measure passages reveals some striking similarities, particularly in terms of where tonic and subdominant chords are likely to occur. Although the endings of formal sections can take a variety of paths – including arriving at various tonal goals within a range of possible times – hypermetrically accented beginnings and midpoints show greater consistency in their organisation.