Rich
Harris Jr
Voice Leading in Four Voices
Root Position
• When two roots lie a P5 or a P4 apart:
– Keep common tone ( tone shared by both triads) and move remaining two
upper voices.
– If done correctly the root of the chords will be doubled
• If you can’t keep the common tone, move all three upper voices in similar motion to
the nearest chord tone.
#
#
When roots are a third apart:
– Two common tones
– Keep common tones and move remaining upper voice stepwise
When roots are a second apart:
-No common tones
-Move three upper voices in contrary motion to the bass
-Make sure each voice moves to the nearest chord tone of the next chord
Pg 162
When roots are a second apart:
– No common tones
– Move three upper voices in contrary motion to the bass
– Make sure each voice moves to the nearest chord tone of the next chord
When chords are repeated:
-Maintain proper doubling
-Range of voices
-Keep the usual order of voices
Pg 163
Sometimes voice leading conditions make it
impossible to apply stylistic practices
First Inversion Triads
Use to:
• Smooth bass line
• Provide melodic motion in repeated chords
Pg.164
Stylistic Practice for Voice Leading in First Inversion
Triads:
-Double any triad factor that provides smooth voice leading
(these notes are commonly found in the soprano line and less commonly in the bass line)
NEVER DOUBLE THE LEADING TONE
- Diminished first-inversions: double third or fifth
Pg 164
6/4 Chords
** Should be used with “extreme caution” because of its
unstable nature
• Chord contains the interval of a fourth and cannot be used in
the functional way that root and first-inversion triads are
used.
Pg 165
6/4 Chords should be used in one of the following ways only:
• Cadential - tonic 6/4 chord resolves to the V chord at the cadence
• Passing Bass - the bass note (5th of the chord) acts as a passing tone.
– May be found as a tonic between the IV and IV6 or as a dominant between I and I6.
Bass note is doubled.
Pg 165
• Arpeggiated Bass- Bass note (5th) participates in an arpeggiation of the
same chord.
• Pedal Bass- (stationary bass or neighboring tone chords) Bass note (5th) is preceded
and followed by the same tone and is scattered between two root positions of the same
triad.
Summary for 6/4 Chords
1. Except under unusual circumstances, double the bass note (5th of chord)
2. Approach and depart from 6/4 chords with as few skips as possible
3. Only in arpeggiated 6/4 chords is the bass note approached or left by a skip
4. Use only cadential, passing bass, arpeggiated bass, and pedal bass
Pg 166
• Avoid:
Unstylisitic Departures
No exceptions
Parallel perfect octaves
Parallel perfect fifths
Parallel unisons
•Never double the leading tone
•Do not write pitches out of the range of that particular voice
•Avoid the melodic augmented second and fourth in all voices
Pg 166
Occasionally Broken Rules
Only broken if there is no other alternative
1.
Avoid crossing voices
2.
Spacing between adjacent voices should not exceed an octave in the upper
three voices
3.
Do not overlap two adjacent voices more than a whole step
4.
Do not move in the same direction to perfect intervals in the two outer voices.
Such motion is thought by some theorists to create the effect of parallel perfect
intervals
Pg 166
5. Unequal fifths, P5 to d5 or vice versa are found in chorale harmonizations and may be used sparingly.
6. The leading tone should progress upward to tonic when in an outer voice
Pg 166
Voice Ranges
• Keep all voices within their range