Harmony and Voice Leading

• Voice leading - The art of arranging musical voices in a way that creates smooth and logical progressions. It is an essential aspect of music composition and performance, particularly in classical and jazz music.

Types of Motion

• Motion - The direction in which the melody moves in relation to the bass line.

• Contrary motion - Moves the melody in the opposite direction of the bass.

• Oblique motion - When one voice remains on the same note and the other moves in either direction.

• Similar motion - When the bass and the soprano move in the same direction but at different intervals.

• Parallel motion - Where the soprano and bass move in the same direction and at the same interval.

Voice Leading Rules for Outer Voices

Outer Voices

• Outer voices - The highest and lowest voices in a musical texture.

  • They are usually the melody and bass lines.

• Rules for outer voices

  • Avoid large leaps between adjacent notes.

  • Avoid crossing the voices.

  • Avoid parallel fifths and octaves.

  • Avoid doubling the leading tone.

Open or Closed Positions

• Open and closed positions - The spacing between the voices in a chord.

  • In open position, the voices are spaced far apart.

  • In closed position, the voices are spaced close together.

Doubling Rules

• Double the root note

  • The root note of a chord should always be doubled. This helps to reinforce the tonality of the chord and gives it a strong foundation.

• Double the fifth

  • The fifth note of a chord can also be doubled. This can help to add brightness and clarity to the chord.

• Avoid doubling the third

  • The third note of a chord should generally be avoided when doubling. This is because it can create dissonance and clash with other notes in the chord.

• Use common sense

  • While these rules provide a good starting point, it's important to use your ears and common sense when doubling notes. If a particular doubling sounds good to you, go with it!

• Consider the instrumentation

  • Different instruments have different tonal qualities and strengths. When doubling notes, consider which instruments will work best together to create the desired sound.

Voice Leading Rules: Intervals between the Voices

• Avoid parallel perfect intervals (unison, octave, fifth, fourth) between any two voices.

• Avoid parallel diminished and augmented intervals between any two voices.

• Avoid direct fifths and octaves between any two voices.

• Avoid voice crossing, where a lower voice moves above a higher voice.

• Avoid large leaps between any two voices.

Voice Leading Rules: Spacing between the Voices

• Keep the voices within a comfortable range for the singers or instruments.

• Avoid overlapping of voices, where one voice covers up another.

• Avoid large gaps between any two voices.

• Keep the voices balanced, with no one voice dominating the others.

• Use spacing to create a sense of tension or release in the music.

Harmonic Progression, Functional Harmony, and Cadences

Harmonic Progression

• Harmonic progression - A series of chords played in a specific order

• Each chord is related to the key of the piece

• Progressions can be simple or complex

• Common progressions include I-IV-V and ii-V-I

Harmonic Rhythm

• Harmonic rhythm - The rate at which chords change in a piece of music

• Can be fast or slow

• A fast harmonic rhythm creates a sense of tension and excitement

• A slow harmonic rhythm creates a sense of calm and stability

• Can be used to create contrast within a piece of music

Cadences

• Cadence - The harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic conclusion to a phrase. It helps to establish the tonal center.

  • They end with only three chords: I (i), vi (VI), or V (v).

• Authentic cadence - The most common phrase-ending chord progression that uses the dominant chord to set up the tension and the tonic for the release.

  • Perfect Authentic (PAC) - Concluding cadence that requires both dominant and tonic chords to be in root position.

    • Authentic refers to the harmonic process of V-I.

    • The tonic chord must double the root of the chord in the soprano.

  • Imperfect Authentic (IAC) - Weaker authentic cadence that has either chord inverted, or has a chord member other than the root in the soprano of the tonic chord.

• Plagal Cadence (PC) - Weaker progression using the subdominant to tonic to provide the resting point.

  • Often called “Amen cadence”.

• Deceptive cadence (DC) - Ending progression where the dominant chord is unexpectedly resolved to the submediant instead of the tonic.

• Half Cadence (HC) - Unresolved tension used especially in the middle of a melody.

  • Ends on the dominant.

  • Phrygian Half Cadence (PHC) - Occurs in a harmonic minor. The dominant chord is preceded by the minor subdominant in first inversion and the descending bass line is approached from above by a half step.

The Chordal Seventh

• Chordal seventh - A seventh note added to a chord, creating a four-note chord.

  • It is also known as the seventh chord.

• The chordal seventh can be added to any chord, including major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords.

• The chordal seventh is usually written as a superscript "7" after the chord symbol.

Voice Leading with Chordal Seventh

• Voice leading - The art of moving from one chord to another in a smooth and melodic way.

• The chordal seventh should resolve in a melodic way, usually by moving down a half step to the third of the next chord.

• The other notes in the chord should also move in a smooth and logical way, avoiding large leaps or awkward voice leading.

Tips to Write the Voice Leading FRQs

• Start with a clear understanding of the chord progression and the key.

• Use common chord progressions and cadences to create a sense of familiarity and structure.

• Pay attention to the melody and ensure that it flows smoothly from one chord to the next.

• Use chordal sevenths to add interest and complexity to the harmony, but be careful not to overuse them or create awkward voice leading.

Voice Leading with Seventh Chords

• The seventh note should resolve in a melodic way, usually by moving down a half step to the third of the next chord.

• The other notes in the chord should also move in a smooth and logical way, avoiding large leaps or awkward voice leading.

• Seventh chords can be used to create tension and release, adding interest and complexity to the harmony.