Voice Leading
Voice Leading refers to using certain voicings for chords dependent upon the previous and next chord in the progression. In other words, when chord 1 uses this voicing, chord 2 should use that voicing. Up until now we have been concerned simply with diatonic progressions and the harmonic functions of chords to construct or analyze a progression. We've briefly touched upon position and voicing but purposefully avoided any details. Well, the time has come!
Contents
PreReqs
Origins and Purpose of Voice Leading
Every era of music has developed its own set of "rules" regarding composition. These simply mirror the preferred customs of the day. Again, there is no bad or good music in fact, only in opinion, which tends to fluctuate from person to person and from era to era. The voice leading described here follows the set of boundaries that emerged from composers during the Renaissance and Common Practice Period. They are mostly derived from the rules of counterpoint.
Counterpoint is a compositional style that is mainly concerned with multiple simultaneous melodies. The melodies must have some concern for the harmony their interaction creates. In fact, simply combining two random melodies, even if their rhythms are synchronized and pitches transposed to the same key, will more than likely result in a song that has a confused, directionless, and dissonant harmony. When done well, however, counterpoint is immensely popular. Thus, those in the musical craft began developing rules and frameworks to compose counterpoint that avoided the bad and exploited the good.
While counterpoint and voice leading are separate topics, classical voice leading rules mirror counterpoint. In counterpoint, each melodic line is considered independent. Voice leading comes from a similar line of thought, taking each note of a chord as an independent voice. As chords change, each voice must rise, fall, or hold pitch. Using rules consistent with counterpoint, the specific note of the chord each voice would move to depends on the current notes and possible selections for the other voices.
The ultimate effect of following these rules is a smooth transition between chords that maximizes the discernability of the change in harmony, while minimizing noticeable changes in pitch.
Rules
Johann Fux is perhaps the most widely known theorist to identify and codify rules of counterpoint and voice leading. His rules are concerned with the type of motion and the type of intervals created by each pair of voices.
Types of Motion
- Parallel - Both voices move in the same direction the exact same number of semitones.
- Similar - Both voices move in the same direction; however, one is raised or lowered more than the other.
- Contrary - Both voices move in opposite directions
- Oblique - One voice moves while the other remains constant.
Here's some examples in tab:
| Parallel | Similar | Contrary | Oblique |
|---|---|---|---|
--2--6-- = +4 --0--4-- = +4 |
--2--4-- = +2 --0--4-- = +4 |
--2--0-- = -2 --0--2-- = +2 |
--2--2-- = 0 --0--2-- = +2 |
Fux's Voice Leading Rules
The table below describes voice leading rules in terms of intervals, or just two notes. Each note of the current interval will either move or remain constant in order to form the destination interval. Depending on the type of current (source) and destination intervals desired, there will be certain preferred types of motion.
| Current/ Destination Interval |
Destination | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Interval Type |
Perfect | Imperfect | |
| Source | Perfect |
|
|
| Imperfect |
|
| |
These can be reduced to 2 simple rules:
- If the destination interval is perfect, only contrary or oblique motion can be used.
- Parallel motion can only be used if the source and destination intervals are imperfect.
If "perfect/imperfect" is confusing in describing the intervals, see the table below. The only perfect intervals are the perfect 4th, perfect 5th, and unison (or octave).
| Perfect | Imperfect |
|---|---|
|
|
Additional Rules
Here are some additional rules I was taught:
- Contrary motion is preferred over parallel motion.
- Voices should not cross, although they can meet at the same note. (This only pertains to multiple instruments, ie distinct voices.)
- The leading tone should always resolve up to the tonic if the tonic is part of the next chord.
- Smaller movement is preferable to larger movement.
Application to Guitar
For guitar, we are more limited than if each voice were played by its own instrument, or has the ability to play any combination of notes simultaneously. For practicality's sake, we may not be able to finger what strict voice leading determines is the proper chord voicing to use.
Basic Guidelines
- Try to use the same or close positions.
- Try to reuse common notes.
- Where necessary, use inversions.
- Make sure the leading tone resolves up to the tonic where applicable.
- When shifting positions, try to ensure the current and destination chords use the same or near same number of notes. Don't add or lose voices in the shift.
Examples
Here are some charts of complimentary chord shapes that mostly follow good voice leading principles. Leading tones resolve up to the tonic. Contrary motion is preferred. Movement in parallel 5ths and octaves is avoided. However, we are not retaining strict unique voices - we may choose to add or drop a voice (although we could consider a single note two voices on the same note). Each set of two chords are written in the same position, as large as necessary to accommodate both chords. To actually finger the chords will likely require a positional shift in some occasions. These will work for any position, with the key indicated by where the root note of the tonic chord falls. I am picking a couple examples, but there are actually far more possibilities, especially when we consider 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, and other complex chords.
Table Conventions
- ? - Indicates that the analysis is questionable due to there being more notes in one chord than the other. We assume that the chord with less notes uses two voices on the same note. For example, if the first chord has less notes than the destination chord, we could say that we get contrary motion from the bass note ascending a M2 and descending a P4 to form a small power chord as the two bass notes of the next chord.
- * - Indicates that proper voice leading is not being followed for the interval in question. This is almost always due to movement to parallel 4ths using similar or parallel motion. We could avoid these bad examples by removing (a) note(s) from one or both chords; however, they are usually too subtle to notice. Where we do allow some undesirable voice leading, we make it as subtle as possible. We avoid it on the top two or bottom two voices. We avoid parallel 5ths and octaves, although we allow parallel 4ths. We prefer similar motion over parallel in many situations.
- A few cases have similar motion of two low notes to the same bass notes. This forms a P1 interval, which should not be led by similar motion; however, the alternative is to use inverted chords, which we are avoiding for clarity at this time.
- The chord shapes contain numbers indicating the scale degrees of the notes that comprise the chord. Notice all the tonic chords use (1, 3, 5), the ii chord uses (2, 4, 6), etc.
Major Keys
| Progression | Chord 1 | Chord 2 | Analysis | Alt 1 | Alt 2 | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ii - I |
|-|6|-|-|-| |-|-|4|-|-| |-|-|-|2|-| |-|-|-|6|-| |-|2|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|-|-|5| |-|3|-|-|-| |-|1|-|-|-| |-|5|-|-|-| |-|-|-|3|-| |-|-|-|-|1| |
}Contary }Similar }Parallel* }Contrary }Contrary? |
|-|-|-|6|-| |-|2|-|-|-| |6|-|-|-|-| |-|4|-|-|-| |-|-|-|2|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|5|-|-|-| |-|-|-|3|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|-|-|5|-| |-|1|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Contary }Similar }Similar* }Contrary } |
| iii - I |
|-|3|-|-|-| |-|7|-|-|-| |-|5|-|-|-| |-|-|-|3|-| |-|-|-|7|-| |-|3|-|-|-| |
|-|3|-|-|-| |-|-|1|-|-| |-|5|-|-|-| |-|-|-|3|-| |-|-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }None }Oblique }Similar?* |
|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|7| |-|-|-|-|5| |-|7|-|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |-|-|-|-|3| |
|1|-|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |3|-|-|-|-| |-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |1|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique? }Contrary }Oblique }Oblique |
| IV - I |
|1|-|-|-|-| |-|-|6|-|-| |-|-|4|-|-| |-|-|1|-|-| |4|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|1|-|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-|-| |-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |1|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Similar }Oblique }Oblique }Contrary? |
|-|4|-|-|-| |-|1|-|-|-| |-|-|6|-|-| |-|-|-|4|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|4|-|-|-| |
|3|-|-|-|-| |-|1|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Similar }Oblique }Oblique? |
| V - I |
|5|-|-|-|-| |2|-|-|-|-| |-|7|-|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |-|-|2|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |
|5|-|-|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |1|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Similar }Oblique }Oblique }Contrary? |
|-|-|-|5|-| |7|-|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |2|-|-|-|-| |-|-|7|-|-| |-|-|-|5|-| |
|-|-|-|5|-| |-|1|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique }Similar }Similar?* |
| vi - I |
|3|-|-|-|-| |-|1|-|-|-| |-|-|6|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |6|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|3|-|-|-|-| |-|1|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique }Oblique } |
|-|1|-|-|-| |-|-|-|6|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |6|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|1|-|-|-| |-|5|-|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique } } |
| viiø7 - I |
|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|2|-| |-|-|6|-|-| |-|-|-|4|-| |-|-|7|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|3|-|-|-|-| |-|1|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Contrary? }Parallel* }Similar }Contrary } |
|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
Natural Minor Keys
| Progression | Chord 1 | Chord 2 | Analysis | Alt 1 | Alt 2 | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iiø7 - i |
|-|-|-|-| |-|4|-|-| |1|-|-|-| |-|6|-|-| |2|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|5| |1|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1| |
} }Oblique }Oblique }Contrary }Contrary? |
|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
} } } } } |
| III - i |
|-|3|-|-| |-|7|-|-| |-|-|5|-| |-|-|-|3| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |
|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1| |-|-|5|-| |1|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique } } |
|-|-|-|3| |5|-|-|-| |3|-|-|-| |7|-|-|-| |-|-|5|-| |-|-|-|3| |
|1|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-| |3|-|-|-| |-|-|1|-| |-|-|5|-| |1|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }None }Oblique }Oblique }Oblique |
| iv - i |
|1|-|-| |-|6|-| |-|-|4| |-|-|1| |4|-|-| |-|-|-| |
|1|-|-| |5|-|-| |3|-|-| |-|-|1| |-|-|5| |1|-|-| |
}Oblique }Similar }Oblique }Oblique }Contrary? |
|-|4|-|-| |-|1|-|-| |-|6|-|-| |-|-|-|4| |-|-|-|1| |-|4|-|-| |
|-|-|-|5| |-|1|-|-| |5|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Similar }Oblique }Oblique? |
| v - i |
|5|-|-|-|-| |2|-|-|-|-| |7|-|-|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |-|-|2|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |
|5|-|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-|-| |-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |1|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Similar }Oblique }Oblique }Contrary? |
|-|-|-|5| |-|-|-|2| |5|-|-|-| |2|-|-|-| |-|7|-|-| |-|-|-|5| |
|-|-|-|5| |-|1|-|-| |5|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique }Similar }Similar?* |
| VI - i |
|3|-|-|-|-| |-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|6|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |6|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|-|-|5| |-|-|1|-|-| |-|5|-|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique }Oblique } |
|-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|-|6|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |6|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique } } |
| VII - i |
|-|4|-|-|-| |-|-|-|2|-| |-|-|-|7|-| |-|-|-|4|-| |-|7|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|-|5|-| |-|1|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Contrary? }Similar* }Similar }Contrary } |
|2|-|-|-|-| |-|7|-|-|-| |4|-|-|-|-| |-|-|2|-|-| |-|-|-|7|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|3|-|-|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |1|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Similar }Parallel* }Contrary }Contary? } |
Harmonic Minor Keys
| Progression | Chord 1 | Chord 2 | Analysis | Alt 1 | Alt 2 | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iiø7 - i |
|-|-|-|-| |-|4|-|-| |1|-|-|-| |-|6|-|-| |2|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|5| |1|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1| |
} }Oblique }Oblique }Contrary }Contrary? |
|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
} } } } } |
| III+ - i |
|-|3|-|-| |-|-|7|-| |-|-|5|-| |-|-|-|3| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |
|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1| |-|-|5|-| |1|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique } } |
|-|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-| |3|-|-|-| |-|7|-|-| |-|-|5|-| |-|-|-|3| |
|-|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-| |3|-|-|-| |-|-|1|-| |-|-|5|-| |1|-|-|-| |
} }None }Oblique }Oblique }Oblique |
| iv - i |
|1|-|-| |-|6|-| |-|-|4| |-|-|1| |4|-|-| |-|-|-| |
|1|-|-| |5|-|-| |3|-|-| |-|-|1| |-|-|5| |1|-|-| |
}Oblique }Similar }Oblique }Oblique }Contrary? |
|-|4|-|-| |-|1|-|-| |-|6|-|-| |-|-|-|4| |-|-|-|1| |-|4|-|-| |
|-|-|-|5| |-|1|-|-| |5|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Similar }Oblique }Oblique? |
| V - i |
|5|-|-|-|-| |2|-|-|-|-| |-|7|-|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |-|-|2|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |
|5|-|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-|-| |-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |1|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Similar }Oblique }Oblique }Contrary? |
|-|-|-|5| |-|-|-|2| |5|-|-|-| |2|-|-|-| |-|-|7|-| |-|-|-|5| |
|-|-|-|5| |-|1|-|-| |5|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique }Parallel }Similar?* |
| VI - i |
|3|-|-|-|-| |-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|6|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |6|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|-|-|5| |-|-|1|-|-| |-|5|-|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique }Oblique } |
|-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|-|6|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |6|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|1|-|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |-|-|3|-|-| |-|-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Oblique }Oblique }Oblique } } |
| vii°7 - i |
|-|4|-|-|-| |-|-|-|2|-| |-|6|-|-|-| |-|-|-|4|-| |-|-|7|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|-|-|5|-| |-|1|-|-|-| |5|-|-|-|-| |-|3|-|-|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Contrary }Similar }Similar }Contrary } |
|2|-|-|-|-| |-|-|7|-|-| |4|-|-|-|-| |-|-|2|-|-| |-|-|-|-|7| |-|-|-|-|-| |
|-|3|-|-|-| |-|-|-|1|-| |-|-|5|-|-| |1|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |
}Parallel }Similar }Contrary }Contary? } |
So That's It?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! haha... ha......
No. The above charts only account for neighboring voices. True voice leading must take into account not simply neighboring voices, but all pairs of voices. As you can imagine, this will add additional broken rules to many of the above examples. Performing strict voice leading is more common for 4-part chorale style writing. For common guitar chords, we're more commonly doubling one or more notes of the chord to hit all six, or even five, strings. This adds more complexity, as it means more pairs of intervals to analyze.
Also, voice leading is often approached from a compositional standpoint, rather than a technical standpoint. Composers are more commonly concerned with arrangements of multiple independent instruments. This makes reaching the proper destination notes for strict voice leading much easier from a technical perspective, as each instrument is simply playing a melody line rather than voicing entire chords. Trying to keep strict voice leading on on guitar means extremely difficult fingerings and voicings as chords progress.
Furthermore, we aren't using anything other than simple diatonic triads from the most common keys in the examples above. Throwing in non-diatonic chords, 7th, and other extended chords add more complexity. Also, we're only demonstrating examples consisting of two chords. Actual progressions tend to feature many more chords - a full diatonic circle progression from I to I, or i to i involves seven changes.
The good news is that the degree to which you want to follow voice leading is optional. Since music is subjective, there is no right and wrong. As long as you are somewhat aware of voice leading and understand its impact, using some of the principles, especially for the lowest and highest voices, will have the desired effect on the listener. Or, as seen in the next section, there may be cases where you don't want to use voice leading.
Opposing Viewpoint
Blues, originating and developed completely outside of the traditions of classical Western music, breaks a number of the above rules. And since blues was a strong influence on the rock-based styles of music, many continue in this tradition. Boogie-woogie particularly emphasized movement in parallel fifths. Modern rock music tends to use a few common chord shapes and move them around the fretboard, rather than follow classical voice leading guidelines. Modern rock also typically emphasizes root voicing of chords over inversions, which in many cases must lead to improper voice leading.
Homework
- Learn the types of movement possible for a pair of notes.
- Learn Fux's rules for voice leading.
- Practice all of the above progressions, focusing on the smoothness and emphasized resolutions. Contrast it to a few other random voices of one or both the chords.
- Write your own progression and try to use proper voice leading. Use inversions where necessary.