Some

Voice-Leading Rules to Keep In Mind!

1. Chords [Vertical – up and down each individual harmony]
a. Doubling
i. It’s common to double the root of root / first inversion
triads
th nd
ii. It’s common to double the 5 of 2 inversion triads
iii. It’s ok to double anything you like, as long as you don’t
create “illegal” parallel 5ths of octaves
rd
iv. In diminished triads, you should double the 3 , to avoid
illegal parallels
b. Omissions
th
i. It’s OK to omit the 5 of a triad, if necessary, but DON’T
rd
omit the root or 3 .
rd th th
ii. It’s OK to omit the 3 or 5 of a 7 chord if necessary,
th
but DON’T omit the root or 7 .
c. Resolution of 7ths
ths th
i. The 7 of 7 chords have to resolve. They are dissonances.
ii. They should resolve down by step.
d. Spacing
i. Don’t let there be more than an octave of space between
the soprano and alto; or between the alto and tenor
voices.
ii. It’s OK to have more than an octave space between the
tenor and the bass.
2. Lines [Horizontal – note-to-note movement between 2 voices]
a. Within a single voice
i. We want a balance of conjunct and disjunct motion
ii. Avoid augmented /diminished intervals in the melody
1. [they’re hard to sing, and not common in the style]
iii. Don’t “frustrate the leading tone” in the soprano or bass
[outer voices]
1. If you can resolve the leading-tone to the tonic, do
so.
iv. Avoid consecutive melodic leaps in the same direction,
unless you are outlining a chord
1. If you leap twice in the same direction, you are
likely to hear what you have done as a chord.
v. Try not to skip more than an octave in a single voice
b. Between two voices
i. Avoid forbidden parallel motion
1. No parallel 5ths
2. No parallel unisons, or octaves
ii. Avoid crossing voices ranges
1. We want the lines to feel separate from one another.
2. Don’t let the soprano note be lower than the alto
note; the alto note be lower than the tenor note;
the tenor note be lower than the bass note in a
chord voicing.
iii. Avoid big overlapping ranges, especially from chord to
chord
1. Keep the ranges clearly sedimented
iv. Tritones have to resolve in a certain way:
1. Augment 4ths resolve outward
2. Diminished 5ths resolve inward