Voice Leading

The purpose of voice leading is to create a smooth and fluid motion between chords.

Forbidden:

• Parallel Fifths

• Parallel Octaves

• Voice crossings

• More than one octave between S and A or A and T (T and B is ok)

Avoid:

Melody

• Consecutive skips in the same direction

• Augmented intervals

• large intervals

The Bass line is usually exempt from these restrictions

Voicing

• Doubling the leading tone

Almost always:

• Leading tone (that belongs to a V or vii) goes up

Good tendencies:

• leave common tones in the same voice

• avoid skips