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Four Part Vocal Style RULES

The document outlines 22 rules for four-part vocal style, including avoiding overlapping voices, forbidden melodic motions, proper treatment of leading tones and resolutions, limitations on consecutive leaps, and proper handling of chord doublings, parallels, ranges, functions and inversions to create a successful chorale. Adherence to these rules will result in a chorale with smooth voice leading and clear harmonic progression.

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Lira K
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38 views1 page

Four Part Vocal Style RULES

The document outlines 22 rules for four-part vocal style, including avoiding overlapping voices, forbidden melodic motions, proper treatment of leading tones and resolutions, limitations on consecutive leaps, and proper handling of chord doublings, parallels, ranges, functions and inversions to create a successful chorale. Adherence to these rules will result in a chorale with smooth voice leading and clear harmonic progression.

Uploaded by

Lira K
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Four Part Vocal Style RULES (In no particular order)

Ø Overlapping voices: Voices must not overlap. This includes inner parts.
Ø Augmented 2nds (minor key). Avoid movement in any voice between the flat
6/sharp 7. E.g. bass iv to V6/5.
Ø Leading tone resolutions. Leading tones in chord V/vii should always resolve
up to the tonic. On rare occasions they can move down to the 5th at a cadence (if
there is no alternative).
Ø Consecutive leaps. Leaps are discouraged in all voices except bass. If they must
be used, use them very sparingly. Even in bass, there should not be a trail of
consecutive leaps greater than a 2nd/3rd. Leads to unflowing chorale.
Ø Incomplete chords. Check your chords to make sure you have included all the
notes! In general, always double check that your chords match your analysis,
common error!
Ø Using the 6/4 chord. As a passing chord or an elaboration of dominant. Not to
be used as a substitute for normal chords. Can arpeggiate a chord (God Save the
Queen/King)
Ø Parallel 5ths and 8ves. Check! Sop-alto, Sop-tenor, Sop-bass, alto-tenor, alto-
bass, tenor-bass.
Ø Doublings. Please refer to the doubling rules. Do not double the third except in
variants of chord VI. Do not double the bass note of a first inversion!
Ø Tritone leaps. Must be avoided in inner voices, and only occasionally ok in the
bass when leaping down to the 7th.
Ø Cadence selections (root pos.). Choose appropriate and strong cadences.
Inversions tend to make for weaker cadences, unless if part of a half cadence,
and only on the first chord (e.g. iv6-V).
Ø Resolutions of 7ths. Refer to lecture slides! Usually they should resolve down a
step for the next chord.
Ø Chord functions. A successful chorale will make use of the chord functions in a
progressive way. Following the tonic-anything, subdominant-subdominant or
dominant, and dominant-dominant or tonic rules will lead to a stable chorale.
Ø Accidentals. Don’t forget them! Numerous examples of students forgetting
accidentals in the key signature, especially for mixture chords.
Ø Vocal ranges. Adhere to them. Biggest risk is with tenor going too low – tenor
should stay above D in general and not be too close to the bass when in the low
register.
Ø Consecutive mixture chords. This can create ambiguity as to the key of the
exercise and cloud chord function. Be careful.
Ø Gaps between sop-alto, alto-ten. Maximum of an octave!
Ø Phrase beginnings (key). Don’t begin on vii43 or a chord that will make the
chorale sound ambiguous.
Ø Using root position chords reasonably frequently. Inversions are fantastic
but don’t use six in a row. A successful chorale will have a good balance of root
position and inversion chords to create contrast and flow. Too many root
position chords is dull, too many inversions will be unstable.

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