Before We Begin...Hang on to your homework – we’re going to go over Part A, and Part B is part of your assignment tonight.

I will give you your “tests” back from yesterday VERY HAPPY!!!

Principles of Voice LeadingIntroduction

The Melodic Line – Review the Rules

▪ 1. RHYTHMS: keep the rhythm SIMPLE, with most durations equal to or longer than a beat (no subdivisions yet). The final note should always end on a STRONG beat

▪ 2. HARMONY: every melody note should belong to the chord that is to harmonize it (no non-chord tones!)

▪ 3. CONTOUR: the melody should be primarily conjunct (stepwise). The shape of the melody should be interesting but clear and simple, with a single focal point (the highest note of the melody.)

The Melodic Line – Review the Rules

▪ 4. LEAPS:– Avoid augmented intervals, 7ths, and intervals larger than an P8.

Diminished intervals may be used if the melody changes direction by step immediately afterwards

– A melodic interval larger than a P4 is usually best approached and left in the direction OPPOSITE to the leap

– When smaller leaps are used consecutively in the same direction, they should outline a triad

▪ 5. TENDENCY TONES: – In tonal music, 7 has a strong tendency to go up to 1. An exception to

this is the scalewise line descending from 1: 1-7-6-5.

– The only other tendency to consider is 4, which often moves down to 3.

The Melodic Line

▪ Example A – follows all the rules

▪ Example B – breaks all of rule 4 as well as rule 5

a: i V I V -- i V i V i

a: i - V i V i V i iv i

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are FOUR errors.

G: I V I IV V I IV V I

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are FOUR errors.

G: I V I IV V I IV V I

7 should resolve to 1

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are FOUR errors.

G: I V I IV V I IV V I

Not in IV chord

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are FOUR errors.

G: I V I IV V I IV V I

Two leaps – but don’t outline a triad

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are FOUR errors.

G: I V I IV V I IV V I

Two focal points!

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are THREE errors.

Bb: I --- V I IV V I V I

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are THREE errors.

Bb: I --- V I IV V I V I

Leap of a 7th

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are THREE errors.

Bb: I --- V I IV V I V I

Leap of a +4

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are THREE errors.

Bb: I --- V I IV V I V I

2 focal points

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are FOUR errors.

d: i iv V i iv V i --- iv V i

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are FOUR errors.

d: i iv V i iv V i --- iv V i

Not in iv chord

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are FOUR errors.

d: i iv V i iv V i --- iv V i

Large descending leap should be following by ascending motion

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are FOUR errors.

d: i iv V i iv V i --- iv V i

Large ascending leap should be following by descending motion

Practice – Critique the Melody

▪ Criticize the following melody in terms of the rules for simple melodies. There are FOUR errors.

d: i iv V i iv V i --- iv V i

Interval of an +2

Building Melodies

▪ On your homework tonight, you’ll also be asked to create melodies given a chord progression.

▪ For example - f: i iv V i etc.

▪ First, figure out what notes are part of that chord. Which one you pick is based on the rules lined out. Sometimes, you will need to back up and change some things to make it work.

▪ There are several possible correct answers for each. Let’s do a couple together.

Practice - Building Melodies

▪ f: i iv V i / VI iv V --- / i

Practice - Building Melodies

▪ Ab: I V vi -- / ii vii I

Assignment – Part A

▪ Self Test 5-1 – Part B– You will need to complete this on a page of STAFF PAPER.

▪ Exercise 5-1 – Part A (review) and Part B

▪ DUE TOMORROW