music theory

Root Position Part Writing

MUSIC THEORY

12th grade

Caitie Wagner

• Vocabulary• Guidelines• Parallel Motion• Errors in Writing• Example• Practice

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Root – First note of the chord (gives chord its name)

• Common Tone – note in the voice that stays the same despite change of chords

• Voice leading –ways in which chords are produced by the motions of individual musical lines

• Focal Point – Highest sounding note in a melody

• Contour – Shape of the melody

• Counterpoint – combining of relatively independent musical lines

VOCABULARY

• Keep the rhythm simple• Every melody note should belong to the chord that is to harmonize

it• Keep the melody mostly stepwise. The shape of the melody should

be clear and simple but interesting with a single focal point• Leaps

1. Avoid augmented intervals, 7ths, and anything larger than an octave

2. Melodic interval larger than a P4 should be followed by a step opposite to the leap

3. When smaller leaps are used in the same direction, they should outline a triad

• Tendency Tones

1. 7 has a tendency to go to 1 (unless it’s a descending scale)

2. 4 usually moves to 3, but not as big of a deal if it doesn’t

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Sometimes in music voices that move from one chord to another they form relationships to each other. There are five possibilities:

STATIC OBLIQUE CONTRARY

Stays the same

SIMILAR PARALLEL

PARALLEL MOTION

Why is this one so special?? Let’s find out…

Now that you have some guidelines in place…let’s learn some rules!

PARALLEL FIFTHS AND OCTAVES• These are bad!!! When two parts move in parallel motion

by fifths or octaves, yer asking for trouble mister!! It interferes with the independence of the line and makes them too uniform

DIRECT (OR HIDDEN) FIFTHS AND OCTAVES• When the soprano and bass move in similar motion into a

P5 or P8 and the soprano makes a leap (aurally it’s similar to a parallel fifth or octave, that’s why it’s bad!)

ERRORS TO AVOID

Now that you have the rules…let’s put it to practice!!

LEAD BY EXAMPLE!

STATIC MOTION

PAY ATTENTION TO KEY SIGNATURE – CHECK IF ITS MAJOR OR MINOR

PARALLEL

SIMILAR OBLIQUE

Analyze this piece by…

PRACTICE

Labeling the chords with figure bassIdentify different kinds of parallel motionIf there is any, label parallel/hidden 5ths and octaves

Listen to the clip provided and do the following:

Write what things you like and dislike about the piece.

Research the time period the piece was written in (I’ll give you a hint…it’s Beethoven!!!) and describe what was typical musically during that time period.

Watch the contours of the lines – do you think the piece was shaped well?

See you in class next time!

HOMEWORK