The Rules of Harmony



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Never in 6-4 chords

 Double the Third:

  • In any 6-3 chord EXCEPT if it is the leading note (which means chord Vb)

  • Never in 6-4 chords

  • Never in a 5-3 chord UNLESS:

    • it is a minor third and it’s your only choice

    • it is a major third AND the piece is in a minor key, AND it’s part of a V-VI progression.

 Double the Fifth:

  • In any 5-3 chord

  • In any 6-3 chord EXCEPT diminished chords (ii° and vii°)

  • Always in 6-4 chords

 Use this table for reference while you’re practicing. The grayed out chords are not used in tonal harmony at grade 6. The chord notes in brackets are OK but try not to use them unless you absolutely have to!

Notes to double in Major Keys

Ia

iia

iiia

IVa

Va

via

vii°a

1, 5

1, 5 (3)

1, 5 (3)

1, 5

1, 5

1, 5 (3)

-

Ib

iib

iiib

IVb

Vb

vib

vii°b

1, 3, 5

1, 3, 5

1, 3, 5

1, 3, 5

1, 5

1, 3, 5

3

Ic

iic

iiic

IVc

Vc

vic

vii°c

5

5

5

5

5

5

-

Notes to double in Minor Keys

ia

ii°a

iii+a

iva

Va

VIa

vii°a

1, 5 (3)

-

-

1, 5 (3)

1, 5

1, 3, 5

-

ib

ii°b

iii+b

ivb

Vb

VIb

vii°b

1, 5 (3)

3

-

1, 5 (3)

1, 5

1, 3, 5

3

ic

ii°c

iii+c

ivc

Vc

VIc

vii°c

5

-

-

5

5

5

-

 

Are you thinking –“I’ll never remember all this?”


Don’t worry – it’s a normal reaction! Here’s a Rule of Thumb which is easy to remember:

Root position – 1 or 5


First Inversion – anything goes
Second inversion – 5
Watch out for:

  • diminished chords (ii° and vii°) – ONLY double the third

  • chord VI in minor keys CAN double the third

  • Vb – CAN’T double the third

3b. Omission
Sometimes it’s ok to leave out the fifth of the triad.

You can never leave out the fifth of a 6-4 chord.

Never leave out the third or the root.

 4a. Overlap


Don’t let your voice parts overlap. The soprano line must always be higher than all the rest, the alto must always be higher than the tenor. Be careful not to write parts which cross over like these two:

In the first example, the alto part C is lower than the tenor E.


In the second example, the tenor C is higher than the alto B in the next chord.

It’s ok to let the bass and tenor parts share a note from time to time.



 4b. Range
When you write for four voices (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), you should keep to the normal range that those voices can sing:

These ranges are not absolutely fixed, but stay within them to stay safe! Never have an interval wider than an octave between the tenor and alto, or alto and soprano parts. It’s ok to have more than an octave between the tenor and bass parts.

 

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