What is Voice Leading?

How you move from one chord to the next.

Rules vary between eras.

Bach’s voice leading is different from Debussy’s.

Principles of voice leading are universal.

Four Principles of Voice Leading

1. Keep common tones.

2. If you can’t keep common tones, move by step. 3. If you can’t move by step, move by the smallest interval possible. 4. A skip of a 5th or larger will be heard as expressive.

Bass voice is an exception to these rules.

Rules?

1. Parallel 5ths, Parallel Octaves, particular to certain eras.

Idea: Principles are based on human cognition.Rules are based on cultural fabrications.

One More Principle

Leading tone is extremely important in voice leading, especially in the outer voices. It must resolve to the 1st scale degree.

Up

Down

Parallel – movement in the same direction, with the same interval

Down

Down

Similar – movement in the same direction, with different intervals

Up

Up

Oblique – one voice stays the same while the other moves

Down

No motion

Movement Terms

Contrary – movement in opposite directions

D G e F

C (I) D4 (ii)2 G6 (V)5

C (I) a6 (vi)