Voice Ranges
Bass: E2-C4
Tenor: C3-F4
Alto: E3-D5
Soprano: B3-A5
•MAIN RULES
Keep voices in ranges
No voice overlaps or voice crossings
Avoid Augmented Second and Augmented fourth (these are leaps up of minor 3rd and tritone)
No parallel octaves, fifths, unisons
Keep upper voices less than an octave apart
Do not double the leading tone
Avoid hidden parallel octaves and fifths in outer voices
MAJOR/MINOR TRIADS
Root Position
•Preferred - double root for major and minor triads except double third in vi or VI triads
•Allowed - double root in vi or VI triads, double 1st, 4th, 5th scale degree for other major and minor triads
Major Triads.
I
ii
iii
IV
V
Double 5th of I
Double 3rd of ii
Double 3rd of iii
Double 5th of IV
Only root can be doubled
VI
Double root of VI
Minor Triads
i
ii
iii
III
iv
IV
v
V
vi
VI
VII
Double the 5th of i
Double the 3rd of ii
Double the 3rd of iii
Double the 3rd of III
Double the 5th of iv
Double the 5th of IV
Only the root can be doubled in v
Only the root can be doubled in V
Double the root of vi
Double the root of VI
Double the 5th of VII
First Inversion
•Preferred - Double the Soprano but in series of first inversions, double the bass and soprano alternately
•Allowed - Double the bass note
•Suggestions
Bass and Soprano don't move in parallel
motion
Move the shortest distance possible
between chords
•DIMINISHED TRIADS
Are never in root position
First Inversion
Preferred:double bass note
Allowed: double root of ii dim or double
fifth of chord in all other cases
•DIMISHED SEVENTH AND
HALF-DIMINISHED SEVENTH
Resolution of the seventh
Preferred - Resolve the tritone or at least the
lower tritone
Allowed - pretty much any including -5->5
(tritone to fifth or fourth in parallel motion)
Second Inversion
•Use only when:Bass note is pedal or passing tone or In I6/4 ->V->I or When bass note is part of arpeggio
•Always double the bass note
•DOMINANT 7th
In V7->I, V7->vi, V7->VI seventh resolves down in same voice
If resolution of seventh is not part of next chord, seventh can't resolve
Sometimes the resolution is delayed or (more rarely) does not occur
5th in 7th can be omitted if needed and root doubled
When 7th chords occur in succession, as in secondary dominants, the 5th is often omitted
•NON-DOMINANT 7th CHORDS
Resolution Type 1: 7th resolves to 3rd, chord root descends 5th
for I->IV, ii->V, iii-vi, vi->ii, i->iv, iidim -> V (VI7->iidim in minor mode, VI7 is
always in inversion)
Type 2: 7th resolves down, root ascends a step for IV->V or (rarer) I,i->2, ii->iii,
iii->iv, VI-VII
Type 3: 7th resolves down, root descends a third for ii->vii
Non-resolution implies modern style.