voiceleading_tedgreene_1975-01-08

8/12/2019 VoiceLeading_TedGreene_1975-01-08

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Greene 1-8-75 Voice-Leading P.1/3

Voice-Leading(The connection of chords with minimum movement)

One of the smoothest ways to connect chords is y mo!ing the indi!id"a# !oices as #itt#e as

$ossi#e. The techni%"e is as fo##ows&

1. 'irst yo" m"st (now how to s$e## the )chords* in!o#!ed + in the $rogressions yo" wi## wor(

with at first, on#y diatonic chords wi## e "sed, so the s$e##ing can e deri!ed y "sing e!ery

other #etter in the diatonic sca#e #i(e an chord is , 0, , a 2m chord is 2, , '0, etc. as

in the diatonic chords yo" ha!e a#ready #earned4.

. 6o" write o"t the s$e##ing of the chords yo" are trying to connect . ay yo" are on an chord

and yo" want to connect it to yo" wo"#d write&

3. 6o" #oo( for common tones notes that are the same in oth chords4 .

9. 6o" connect the rest of the notes with a minim"m of mo!ement.

5. :otice in the e;am$#e


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Greene 1-8-75 Voice-Leading P./3

Voice-Leading with 4 Part Close TriadsTriads with roots = the "$$er 3 !oices as a c#ose triad4

The $rinci$#es are asica##y the same with this ty$e of triad "t eca"se of the do"#ed root the

fo##owing new g"ide#ines are gi!en&

1. onnect the to$ 3 !oices as with 3 note triads .. The ass sho"#d so"nd on#y roots of the chords for now4 e!en if this seems to contradict

the $rinci$#es of !oice-#eading gi!en so far, ;am$#e& I IV V I

Try the $rogressions #isted ao!e with a## forms of the 9 $art c#ose triads.

Classification of Chord Progressions Given By oot !ove"ent

'or ease of wor(ing with some $rinci$#es to fo##ow, chord $rogressions are c#assified in 3 ways&

1. hords can $rogress "$ or down an inter!a# of a 4th. ;am$#es&

root "$ a 9th4 > 2m root "$ a 9th4 > root down a 9th4

. hords can $rogress "$ or down an inter!a# of a #rd. ;am$#es&

0m root "$ a 3rd4 > 2m root "$ a 3rd4 > '0m root down a 3rd4

3. hords can $rogress "$ or down an inter!a# of a $nd. ;am$#es

2m root "$ a nd4 > 0m root "$ a nd4 > '0m root down a nd4

Noticethat any $rogression in one direction e%"a#s its co"nter$art in the other direction if s"tracted

from ?. ;am$#es& '0m @ down a #rd or "$ a %th. @ down a 4thor "$ a &th.

The fo##owing g"ide#ines are common#y acce$ted as wor(ing with 9 $art c#ose triads&

1. Af a chord $rogresses "$ or down the inter!a# of a #rdor 4th, the g"ide#ines gi!en ao!e

a#one sho"#d e "sed to$ of this $age )Voice-Leading with 9 Part #ose Triads*4.

. Af a chord $rogresses "$ or down the inter!a# of a $ndmo!e the to$ 3 notes in contrary

motion to the nearest chord tones4 to the ass. This $rinci$#e may conf"se yo" "t it wi## e

i##"strated e#ow.

"$$ose yo" want to connect 0m to . This $rogression is "$ a $nd. tarting with this

form& ccording to the #ast $rinci$#e on the

$re!io"s $age yo" wo"#d get&

Bhat has ha$$ened is that the to$ 3 notes ha!e mo!ed down, eca"se the ass mo!ed "$

in other words, the to$ 3 notes went in contrary motion to the ass.

nother e;am$#e&


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Greene 1-8-75 Voice-Leading P.3/3

hord $rogressions of nds o$en "$ the $ossii#ity of 'IT*IC P++I*G T*,+,

notice in the first e;am$#e ao!e that the to$ 3 !oices mo!e as fo##ows&

whi#e the to$ !oices are mo!ing right a#ong the diatonic sca#e, the 0 is #ea$ing to , s(i$$ing the

2 note. This 2 co"#d e added after the 0m chord whi#e it sti## is ringing4 and is ca##ed a

ATO:A PA:G TO:. o it can e said that $assing tones are "sed to fi## in a me#odic #ea$in any !oice if desired4.

'or those who read here is an e;am$#e of what a## this #oo(s #i(e&

ometimes in a $rogression, there is no ass that can e added, after yo" ha!e !oice-#ed the

to$ 3 notes& this can $ose $ro#ems+ for instance if yo" tried to $#ay the fo##owing $rogression&

I() iii(C") IV(') V(,) I(). starting with this form yo" co"#dnCt do it&

do it.

$ossi#e so#"tion is first to start an octa!e higher and then transfer the 0m to its same !oicing on

another set of strings which wi## then ena#e yo" to add a ass note and contin"e on&

added ass note4 transferred !oicing4

This may seem #i(e a #ot of


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voiceleading_tedgreene_1975-01-08

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