Can someone explain the rhythm in chopin: ballade no. 1 in G minor to me

No problem!

Explanation:

The inclusion of a lower neighbour note, B flat, forms a motif that will be heard, transposed, in the second theme .

MODERATO

The key is established by dominant seventh and tonic harmony in Bar 8-9. The theme is embellished with a florid vocal-like fioritura in Bar 33. The harmony is coloured by diatonic sevenths, , secondary dominant sevenths , diminished sevenths and suspensions . The opening passage features appoggiaturas in both hands .

It ends with a V7 – i cadence in G minor in Bar 39-40, then is repeated, agitato. The sempre più mosso passage is based on tonic, dominant, and diminished seventh harmony, with a strong tonic presence in the bass . The harmony moves in a circle of fifths in Bars 72-75 , with extensive use of suspensions and appoggiaturas in the melody for expressive dissonance. The theme is restated from Bar 76, now ending with a strong VI7 – II7 – V7 – I progression in Bars 80-82 to confirm the key of E flat major.

There is a constant crotchet broken chord accompaniment through this passage, with some syncopation in the melody, including an implied hemiola in Bar 73-74, where the right hand part of each bar is grouped into three minims rather than two. The melodic motif in this passage sometimes recalls the first theme . The harmony rises by thirds in Bars 90-93 , moving towards A minor and settling on its dominant in Bar 94.

A TEMPO

The melody keeps stepping up to the leading note in Bars 102, 103, and 104, as if striving for the tonic, but is sent back to the submediant note instead each time. The prevailing diminished seventh harmony in these bars heightens the sense of harmonic frustration. The initial dominant seventh and tonic progression releases the tension that had built up in the preceding bars. The theme is now much more exuberant than before, in strong chordal texture and with some florid embellishment.

The ending is extended from Bar 118, leading to a fff diminished seventh chord in Bar 124. It continues in E flat major, using tonic and dominant seventh harmony at first. There is an unexpected shift to F sharp minor in Bars 154-155, and the bass descends by semitones in Bars 155-158, leading to the tonic chord of E flat major in second inversion. The key of E flat major is reconfirmed by dominant and tonic harmony in Bars 158-163, and there is a momentary shift to E flat minor in Bars 164-165.

Bars 191-193 return to G minor.

PRESTO CON FUOCO

The Neapolitan sixth reappears in Bars 216, and 224, together with many dominant and diminished sevenths, and some chromatic movement in the bass, but there is no further modulation. There is an extended dominant-tonic progression in Bars 246-252, and there are references to the first theme in Bare 253 and 257.

I hope this helps, if it doesn't there is a site called tonic chord that might help you

this musical excerpt is an example of piano volume. (true) !

a chromatic scale uses the twelve tones of the octave, while a regular scale only uses eight, or seven different notes (as the first note is played twice)