Transcript Voice Leading in Four-Part Chorale Writing

VOICE LEADING IN FOUR-PART
CHORALE WRITING
Chapter 9
WHAT IS FOUR-PART CHORALE WRITING?
18th and 19th century baroque style
 Chorale
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Congregational hymn in German protestant church
 Sung in the vernacular, not Latin
 J.S. Bach used chorale melodies in many of his
compositions – considered the “best” in this style of
liturgical writing

Highlights the interaction of harmony and
melody
 Soprano sings melody
 Bass generates the harmony
 Alto and tenor fill in the chords
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FIRST INVERSION TRIADS
Smooth bass lines
 Allow for melodic motion in bass lines
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SECOND INVERSION TRIADS
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Cadential
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Passing Bass
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I⁶₄ used as a passing tone between IV and IV⁶
Arpeggiated Bass
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I⁶₄ used as a decoration of V at the cadence
I
I⁶
I⁶₄
Pedal Bass
Placed between two root positions of the same triad
 I
IV⁶₄ I
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STYLISTIC PRACTICES
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When both chords are in root position and the roots
are a P4 or P5 apart
1. Keep the common tone.
 2. When you cannot keep the common tone, move all three
upper voices in similar motion.
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When both chords are in root position and the roots
are a 3rd apart
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When both chords are in root position and the roots
are a 2nd apart
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3. Keep both common tones.
4. Move the three upper voices in contrary motion to the
bass.
When chords are repeated
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5. Maintain proper range and order of voices
STYLISTIC PRACTICES
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When one chord is in 1st inversion
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When using the vii°⁶ triad
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7. Double the bass
When using the ii˚⁶ triad
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6. Double the soprano (first choice) or bass (second
choice)
8. Double the bass
When using 2nd inversion chords
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9. Double the bass
EXCEPTIONS TO STYLISTIC PRACTICES
When you cannot follow stylistic practices, use
the following guidelines.
 Never:
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1.
2.
3.
4.
Write parallel P8, P5, and P1
Double the leading tone of the scale
Write pitches out of range
Write a melodic A2 or A4 in any voice
EXCEPTIONS TO STYLISTIC PRACTICES
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Observe these guidelines carefully unless you
have no other alternative:
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5. Avoid crossing voices (in one chord)
6. Spacing between two adjacent voices should not be
more than a P8 (Exception: tenor and bass spacing
can be up to two octaves)
7. Avoid overlap of voices (in two adjacent chords)
8. Do not move in the same direction to perfect
intervals in soprano and bass
9. Unequal 5ths (P5 to d5) can be used sparingly
10. Use the melodic d5 sparingly
11. Leading tone of the scale should progress upward
to tonic when written in soprano or bass