Download Voice-Leading Guidelines:

Voice-Leading Guidelines:
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Melodically: Try to be relatively smooth. Have an arch shape, a climax, etc. Avoid leaps
of augmented intervals (particularly between 6 and 7 in minor, i.e., use melodic minor).
After leaping a P4 or more, move by step in the opposite direction.
Voices (High to Low): Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass; these are literally voice parts, but are
also used as generic labels for part-writing even in instrumental pieces.
Grand Staff: S and A go on the Treble clef; T and B go on the Bass clef. The Alto always
notates borrowed pitches in relation to the Treble clef—they are not written on the bass
clef. The same goes for the tenor (it is notated on the bass only). Make sure stems
indicate voice properly.
Open/Close: Open—octave or more between S and T; Close—less than an octave. This
is an observation about the range texture of the voices. Other than seeing it in other
textbooks and possibly on a test when you transfer, it is just an observation of texture, not
right or wrong.
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Spacing: S-A—octave or less; A-T—octave or less; T-B—12 or less (sometimes even 2
octaves). Unlike Open/Close, this is an actual “rule” - don’t violate it.
Crossed-voices: Do not let adjacent voices cross each other in range within the same
chord. In addition, apparent voice crossing (AVC) happens when one voice crosses an
adjacent voice not in the present chord, but in relation to the previous chord. Avoid this
also.
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Resolve tendency tones: degree 7 goes to degree 1 [Exception: FLT, see below.]; 7 of
chord down.
Avoid parallel Perfect 5th’s and 8th’s
Avoid consecutive 5th’s and 8th’s by contrary motion (conservative 2-voice rule)
Avoid direct (hidden) 5th’s or 8th’s: outer voices, soprano leaps (conservative 2-voice
rule)
Be careful with unequal 5th’s: O.K. unless d5-P5 between bass and any other voice
Avoid parallel 4th’s between Bass and any other voice (implies two 6-4 chords in a row)
Maintain common tone whenever possible and move other notes to closest chord
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Voice Doubling:
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Root position: double root (primarily)
o Occasional doubling of other tones allowable with good reason
o Do NOT double the 3rd of V (L.T.)
o Special cases:
§ V(7) – I (root position only)
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• Incompl. V7 (no 5 , double root) - Compl. I
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• Compl. V7 – Incompl. I (no 5 , triple root)
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• FLT: LT to 5 of I – inner voice only
§ V-vi (root position only)
• double 3rd of vi in a V-vi (V-VI) progression
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• allows LT to resolve and avoids parallel 5 ’s
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1 inversion: freer doubling
o Quick rule: double soprano in inner voice
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o Diminished triads should use 1 inversion, double 3 (1 choice), double 5 (2
choice)
§ Diminished triads use first inversion to get the tritone out of the bass
§ Resolve the LT to tonic
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§ The 3 , when doubled goes in contrary motion
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§ The 5 can resolve freely – when doubled, use contrary motion
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2 inversion: double 5
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o 2 inversion should use the type categories
Second inversion chords are a special type. They are the most unstable position of a triad. The
fourth which occurs with the bass is considered a dissonance in tonal music (functions as a
suspension). Therefore, they are treated as specific types only.
The key question is: What is the bass doing? Every 6-4 chord (and later on 4-3) has a pattern in
the bass involving three notes: the note before the 6-4, the 6-4, the note after the 6-4. This
pattern looks just like the patterns used to describe non-chord tones, which is why many of the
names are similar.
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Arpeggiated (also called “Stable”): The bass arpeggiates through the notes of the chord.
Since there is no change of chord (or therefore function), it is stable. The 6-4 chord is
really an incidental position.
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Cadential: The bass steps or leaps into 5 degree, stays on 5 , then leaps to tonic; the
chord progression is specifically I 6-4, V, I (with respect to the bass notes). The I 6-4
chord occurs on a strong beat or strong portion of a beat. This chord is really an
embellishment of the dominant chord at a cadence.
Passing: The bass steps up (or down) over the three notes. Therefore, the 6-4 bass
note is passing between two other chords. This type is used to smooth out a bass line.
Pedal: Bass is the same for all three notes. This comes from organ music, where the
pedal tones hold while chords above change. [Note: this one is called a “neighbor” 6-4
by some books, because the upper voices use neighbor motion.]