Transcript When you compose music in the tonal style, you should avoid

Before We Begin...
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Parallel Motion
Introduction
Parallel Motion
▪ In tonal music, it is important to consider the relationships between any
voice in the texture with every other voice
▪ The relationships we are looking at have to do with how each pair of voices
moves from chord to chord.
▪ There are 5 possibilities – static, oblique, similar, contrary, and parallel
Parallel Motion
▪ There are 5 possibilities – static, oblique, similar, contrary, and parallel
Static
Oblique
Similar
Contrary
Parallel
Parallel Motion
▪ One of the basic goals of voice leading in tonal music is to maintain
INDEPENDENCE of the individual parts
▪ Because of this, voices moving in parallel motion must be given special
attention
▪ Parallel 5th and Parallel 8ves are UNACCEPTABLE
– (no 12ths or unisons either... they’re just 5ths and 8ves give or take an octave.)
Parallel Motion
▪ Parallel 5th and Parallel 8ves are UNACCEPTABLE
▪ This does NOT rule out the complete DUPLICATION of a line at the octave
– Common in orchestral writing
– You can double parts completely (but we won’t get to this until MUCH later once
we started talking about instruments)
Parallel Motion
▪ Parallel 5th and Parallel 8ves are UNACCEPTABLE
▪ The P8 and the P5 are the most stable of intervals
▪ Linking two voices together through parallel motion at these intervals
interferes with their independence
Parallel Motion
▪ Listen to these 3 examples. The THIRD does NOT include any parallel 5ths
of 8ves and each voice is able to be heard.
▪ 1.
2.
3.
Parallel 5ths between
Parallel 8ves between
Bass and tenor
soprano and bass
Parallel Motion
▪ Objectionable Parallels: result when two parts are separated by a P5 or P8,
or by their octave equivalents, move to new pitch classes that are
separated by the same interval
– THE SAME PARTS start and move to P5s or P8s
Parallel Motion
▪ The following examples are OK and do NOT have parallel 8ves or 5ths
1.
2.
3.
Octaves “hold”
5th between C (bass)
and G (soprano), and
between G (bass) and
D (alto) in second
chord. Since the 5th
switched from the
soprano to the alto,
this is NOT parallel
motion.
There are parallel
4ths – those are ok
Parallel Motion
▪ Consecutive perfect 5ths and 8ves by contrary motion are also generally
avoided. This means that a composer CANNOT “correct” parallels by
moving one part up or down an octave...
Both of these are BAD!!!
Parallel Motion
▪ Unequal 5ths: result when a P5 is followed by a diminished 5th, or the
reverse, in the same two voices
▪ Unequal 5ths ARE ACCEPTABLE unless they involve a diminished 5th
followed by a P5 between the bass and another voice
Parallel Motion
▪ Unequal 5ths ARE ACCEPTABLE unless they involve a diminished 5th
followed by a P5 between the bass and another voice
P5 – d5 – P5
Good
P5 - d5
Good
d5 – P5
BAD!
Parallel Motion
▪ Direct (or hidden) 5th or 8ve: results when the outer parts move in the same
direction in a P5 or P8, with a leap in the soprano part
▪ The aural result is similar to parallel 5ths and 8ves – you lose one of the
part’s independence
Parallel Motion
▪ Direct (or hidden) 5th or 8ve: results when the outer parts move in the same
direction in a P5 or P8, with a leap in the soprano part
Direct 5th
Direct 8ve
GOOD
GOOD
Parallel Motion
▪When you compose music in the
tonal style, you should avoid
parallel 5ths and 8ves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Parallel Motion - Practice
▪ As a class, we will do Self Test 5-3 (document camera)
Assignment – Exercise 5-3
▪ DUE TOMORROW
▪ Tomorrow we’ll do some more dictation and review some sight-singing
▪ QUIZ ON WEDNESDAY!!!!
– Principles of Voice Leading, Melodic Lines, Notating Chords, Parallel Motion