Questions tagged [voice-leading]
The craft of writing multipart music such that all notes are transitioned to in a "smooth" or "harmonious" manner consistent with common practice harmony.
253
questions
4
votes
1
answer
83
views
Resolving chordal 7ths (Maj7, min7, V7, etc.) (melodic vs harmonic tendency)
I'm aware of "melodic" tendencies, where [2-4-6] all usually resolve down & [7] usually resolves up.
But I cannot find any resources that explain WHY chordal 7ths, when dealing with ...
- 41
1
vote
2
answers
130
views
What is the music theory term for the study of the role and rhythm of each voice in multi voice compositions?
I’m looking for the for the study of the role and rhythm of each voice in multi voice composing. For example “lead part/voice/melody or supporting part/voice/melody”. By rhythms what I mean is the ...
- 725
1
vote
1
answer
94
views
Can 65 chords be arpeggiated?
It should be clear but in case anyone objects with confusion over stylistic conventions: My question relates to tonal harmony and voice leading as is taught in the majority of the western worlds ...
user35708
3
votes
0
answers
95
views
Exceptions to exposed 8ves/5ths?
I was recently approached by a student, who swore that they had read that exposed (i.e. outer voice hidden) 8ves/5ths were permitted between different inversions of the same chord. He said he came ...
- 93
2
votes
1
answer
95
views
When do arpeggiations change the voice leading?
In the top example of the music above, I have composed a simple chord progression with an idiomatic top voice that leads to a cadence.
In the bottom part, I have tried to arpeggiate the right hand of ...
user35708
-4
votes
1
answer
80
views
Is vocal voice in tone Em the same with tone F#m in a song? [closed]
Please explain to answer this question: - Is tone Em the same with tone F#m in a song?
- 9
1
vote
3
answers
78
views
Resolving scale degree 2 in v7 to 3
Are there any circumstances (at least in the common period use) where the scale degree 2 in V7 goes up to 3 as opposed going down to 1?
Why does this seem to be disallowed in textbooks, even more than ...
- 199
2
votes
1
answer
90
views
Research on homophonic voice-leading principles in (3-part) Black Gospel music and related genres?
I'm working on a thesis critiquing functional theory broadly, as incarnated in the text The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis (4th ed., 2021), but with one specific gripe: homophonic voice-...
- 21
3
votes
3
answers
162
views
Is it possible to approach hidden 5ths & 8ves by contrary motion?
is it possible to approach hidden 5ths & 8ves by contrary or oblique motion?
In another meaning every time there is contrary or oblique
motion between voices, are direct 5ths & 8ves allowed ...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
57
views
How to voice lead / harmonize "compound melodies"?
I wrote a bassline and melody and tried to harmonize it today in 4 parts. I came up with two different harmonizations.
In the first harmonization (mm. 6 - 9) I have assumed that the melody will be ...
user35708
3
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Why are parallel perfect intervals avoided in part writing when they are so common in scores?
In this concerto there are a couple of places where parallel octaves are used. I I am a harmony student but This is the first score that I have studied and see what just about every harmony book and ...
user35708
2
votes
3
answers
157
views
Is there such a thing as a 7-5 suspension?
It is not shown in my harmony books but I sometimes use it in my composition. A 7-6 suspension is very common but that suspension resolves to 63 chords. Is a 7 suspension also able to resolve to the 5 ...
user35708
2
votes
2
answers
241
views
Can a suspension be combined with an anticipation?
On the word "destiNAtion" there is what looks to be 7-6 suspension except the suspension is not prepared on the strong beat as I believe it must be for it to be a suspension. So what is this ...
user35708
1
vote
2
answers
121
views
How come scales that differ in their ascent and descent tend to use raised notes going up and lowered notes going down regardless of musical culture?
A great variety of scales across the world differ in the way they go up and down. Some examples that come to mind are the Melodic minor that has A and B natural going up but Bb and Ab going down. A ...
0
votes
1
answer
72
views
What is the difference between legitimate doubling and un-stylistic voice leading?
Here is part of a string section I am working on with 2 violas, 3 celli and 2 double basses. I am trying to learn from a composers point of view how many independent voices there are here? My guess is ...
user35708
9
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Why does Bach not resolve this chordal seventh down by step?
I was reading this chorale by Bach (#130, "Meine Seele erhebet den Herrn", BWV 324) and discovered something curious. It starts in Em and modulates to G. In the last beat of the third bar, ...
- 305
1
vote
1
answer
65
views
Is voice leading exempt when using chord vamps in pop or contemporary music?
In harmony and voice leading pedagogy there is usually a "goal-directed" idea that the voices lead to a cadence or similar but in popular music or contemporary music we often find chord ...
user35708
0
votes
1
answer
120
views
How do voice leading chords work in practice?
I've learned the existence of voice leading chords; passing chords, anticipation chords, and such, but I'm having a hard time understanding them. I know they need to have a so-called "voice ...
- 1,606
3
votes
2
answers
165
views
What type of dissonant voice leading is this Bach example?
Dissonances have to be resolved in Bach's style. If you don't resolve dissonance, you're writing is out of style for the period.
Bach's WTC I Fugue in C# minor, BWV 849, has a passage with unresolved ...
- 1,606
4
votes
2
answers
476
views
Do composers arrange an entire score without parallel perfect intervals or is this only when you have few voices and need them to all be independent?
In harmony class one is taught not to use parallel perfect intervals as it undermines the independence of the voices. I have come to completely understand this and see why it is so important but when ...
user35708
1
vote
1
answer
96
views
Is switching a vocal melody between parts a bad thing?
I wanted to compose a song starting out by using only 4 voices in the traditional SATB way and get a mockup for the song I am producing. I am the singer and producer and just want to get a mockup of ...
user35708
3
votes
1
answer
109
views
Are parallel 5ths still problematic if the texture switches between 2 and 3 voices?
This is a 3-part counterpoint I am working on. It is not a strict counterpoint exercise but I want to try keep within the guidelines as much as possible. In m. 19 the middle voice (in red) stops ...
user35708
4
votes
2
answers
84
views
Figured bass: Am I on the right track?
I'm studying for the Grade 6 music theory exam with the ABRSM and am working through this exercise in preparation (2018 B, question 2)
Can anyone tell me if there are any errors I should correct? Beat ...
1
vote
4
answers
135
views
What chords are considered acceptable as passing chords in common-practice-period tonal voice leading?
I want to move from an FMaj to an Fmaj(6) chord. Putting a passing chord in between, a CMaj(3/4)(A second inversion dominant 7th) chord seems to work nicely. But these chords, at least in the common-...
- 1,606
4
votes
3
answers
441
views
Voice leading errors in Bach's WTC 1 fugue in C major?
Bach is supposed to be the master of all things music, but in the first fugue of the WTC (BWV 846), there seem to be a lot of counterpoint errors and voice leading errors. In the Urtext edition, there ...
- 1,606
2
votes
1
answer
118
views
Does the traditional rule regarding parallel octaves and fifths apply if they are not rhythmically aligned?
In polyphonic writing, you aren't supposed to use parallel octaves or fifths, but does that apply to, say, this situation(inner voices are not yet filled in for the second shown bar):
Where there are ...
- 1,606
5
votes
3
answers
323
views
Why was the melodic augmented second forbidden?
When voice leading in the eighteenth-century style, why is the melodic augmented second (e.g., B♮ to A♭ in the same voice) forbidden?
Over the years I've heard reasons ranging from "it's awkward&...
- 84k
6
votes
1
answer
763
views
How Can The Leading Tone Resolve Up and The 7th Go Down?
I'm struggling and my professor suggested I try Artusi. This isn't homework. I'm trying to learn about 7th chords and I'm stuck on this problem in Artusi:
From the picture above, I'm thinking both ...
- 213
2
votes
4
answers
110
views
is an augmented second in the soprano avoided in 4 part harmony even when it occurs in a modulation?
In this chord progression I wanted to modulate to the minor subdominant (Em to Am) but instead of just using a V7/iv I wanted to see if I could arrive to the V/iv in different ways and perhaps by ...
user35708
7
votes
3
answers
445
views
Reason for 4-voice music octave rule
As far as I know, a basic rule of 4-voice music is:
-The two intervals between the upper 3 voices should not be wider than an octave, and when moving on to the next chord, each voice should proceed as ...
- 109
4
votes
1
answer
145
views
Are unequal 5ths acceptable in applied or seconday dominant chords?
I am trying to write a progression in Cm that modulates to the minor dominant (Gm). In this progression I think I have written a viio65/v but I am getting unequal 5ths between the bass and alto parts. ...
user35708
3
votes
2
answers
634
views
What is the term for swapping parts in a harmony?
What is the technical term given to the technique where parts of a choir switch or swap their parts in a harmony?
- 31
4
votes
1
answer
175
views
Learning to sing: Some songs i can sing straightforwardly other i really cant is this normal?
I've been learning to sing for a year. And I noticed some great improvements but there is one thing that happens to me that is totally strange: When I listen to songs, there are songs that I can "...
- 345
2
votes
1
answer
128
views
chord progressions in minor with the 6th degree rasied
The obvious one is using ii as a minor triad and IV as a major triad but are there some progressions where the raised ^6 is in the bass? I guess the ii and IV would be in inversions then but I can't ...
user35708
0
votes
3
answers
147
views
How to study part-writing as a self-taught musician?
I've recently picked up Schoenberg's "Preliminary Exercises In Counterpoint" after reading most of "Fundamentals of Musical Composition" as he indicates there and in other texts ...
0
votes
3
answers
131
views
Do all 3rd inversion diminished and half diminished 7th chords resolve to 64 chords?
I am playing around with the use of b7 as melody note in a major key and with ^2 in the bass I am able to build a diminished 42 chord (in C that is DEGBb) and I am trying to figure out how to resolve ...
user35708
5
votes
2
answers
193
views
Are diminished 5ths more dissonant than augmented 4ths?
To me when I play these intervals they sounds the same, yet in my harmony textbooks there seems to be a big difference on how these intervals are treated in voice leading.
The principal difference is ...
user35708
0
votes
3
answers
27
views
Can a ii° built on ^2 of the harmonic minor scale with an added 6th function as a fully dimished 7 chord?
The added raised ^7 from using harmonic minor allows for a chord that is enharmonic to a fully dimished 7th
chord but built on ^2 not ^7. Can this chord be used as a fully diminished 7th chord?
user35708
3
votes
2
answers
464
views
Is an anticipation capable of causing parallel 5ths?
This is in 4/4 time. To me this does not sound like parallel 5ths between the top 2 voices because there is a 3rd on beat 2 and the 5th is in the up beat before the chord. Can someone share their ...
user35708
4
votes
1
answer
105
views
How to make a "reduction" from an arpeggiated bass
In one of my textbooks (Harmonic Practice by Robert Gauldin), there is a section about figuration and making reductions from arpeggiations to better see the voice leading. In the provided example the ...
user35708
8
votes
2
answers
779
views
Seemingly unsolvable SATB harmonization
Was working on the following exercise in RCM Harmony 9 - it seems like there's no solution if you follow all the SATB rules.
It's in F# minor, so looking at the second note, we see that it's tonic (...
- 83
0
votes
1
answer
47
views
Can I - V support the melodic motion ^3 ^5?
The outer voices would move into a P8 by leap which is supposed to be hidden octaves and not good. Is this indeed a bad progression and would another harmony be better here? I normally would just stay ...
user35708
1
vote
0
answers
38
views
What it's the key and chord progression of this four part harmony music [closed]
I'm trying to write a four-part harmony song with some suspended chords and stuff. I'm having some problems identifying the chords, I'm also not sure if the key is in F. Can anyone help me? I'm also ...
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
35
views
Is the treatment of accented 5ths and octaves in 3rd species counterpoint the same as between soprano and bass in 4 part writing?
Here in this image from my textbook "Harmony and voice leading" there are several very useful examples of accented and unaccented octaves and 5ths in third species Counterpoint. It shows ...
user35708
0
votes
0
answers
62
views
How to make a chordal analysis when you only have 2 voices?
In my textbook Harmony and Voice Leading 5th edition I am to complete an exercise using 2 voices and wanted to make an analysis first of what chords were implied by the bass and soprano. Can someone ...
user35708
1
vote
1
answer
78
views
What is the principle of I46 progression to I7?
The above image is called a secondary 7th chord solution by Anton Bruckner.
But there is an I46 there, and there are many ways to use the I46,
but I've never seen it used this way, so I don't know why ...
- 109
4
votes
4
answers
364
views
Why are parallel 5ths not allowed in part writing but reducing to 3 voices is?
Parallel octaves and fifths are not allowed in four-part writing because it undermines the independence of the two voices. But it is perfectly acceptable to go from 4 to 3 voices when necessary. Aren'...
user35708
0
votes
1
answer
59
views
How does the treatment of tendency tones vary outside the scope of 4 part chorales and harmony exercises?
I understand that in a strict exercise all tendency tones should resolve properly. For example, 7ths resolve down by step in the same voice, leading tones usually resolve and always do so if in the ...
user35708
2
votes
1
answer
109
views
Is there a music-theoretical language for directly expressing voice leading?
The question
Does music theory provide a language for directly expressing voice leading? Roman numeral analysis (RNA) encapsulates voice-leading expectations, but these are built in by implication (...
- 82.3k
6
votes
1
answer
118
views
What are "apparent octaves and unisons"?
In the workbook for "Harmony and Voice Leading" (5th edition), there is an exercise on page 14 for which I need to write an accompaniment.
As you can see in the instructions, octaves and ...
user35708