Harmony and Voice Leading I

Harmony and Voice Leading I: AP Music Theory Study Guide

Hello, future Maestros! 🎶 Welcome to your crash course in Harmony and Voice Leading I. Ready your scores and sharpen those pencils because we're diving deeper into the magical realm of chord functions, cadences, and phrases. Get ready to be the Mozart of your AP Music Theory exam! 🎹🎻

Voice leading is the art of moving individual parts (or voices) from one chord to another in the most musical way. Think of it like guiding a group of singers through a maze without bumping into each other – smooth and silky transitions are key! This practice became standard during the Common Practice Period (CPP), which sounds like an exclusive club but is just the Baroque to Romantic period (1650-1900). 🎼

To compose like a pro – or at least like an 18th-century musician – follow these voice leading commandments:

• Chord Spelling: Ensure every chord is spelled correctly, like checking your musical spelling bee.
• Spacing: Keep chords within a pleasant range – no notes elbowing each other!
• Doubling: Gentle reminder: don't double up on those third notes unless you want some raised eyebrows.

Smooth voice leading means melodies that flow logically. No jagged leaps or awkward pauses, please! Each voice must maintain its independence, kind of like each singer in a choir having their own solo moment within the harmony. 🎵

In the enchanted land of four-part harmony, the relationship between the soprano and bass lines is like the steady hand guiding the ship (or the choir). These are your outer voices, and their interplay is crucial. Let’s explore Bach’s chorales – think of them as the OG examples of voice leading. 🎶

Picture one of Bach’s harmonious pieces:

• The Soprano line is on top with stems reaching for the sky.
• The Alto line sits slightly below, usually acting chill.
• The Tenor line, the bass clef version of an alto, keeps its stems up.
• The Bass line stands as the foundation, with stems anchoring down.

In four-part harmony, when you hit a fermata (that little bird’s eye symbol 👀), it signals a cadence. This is like the musical punctuation mark, giving everyone a chance to catch their breath before moving on.

Just like dance partners on a musical dance floor, these types of motion dictate how voices move relative to each other:

• Parallel Motion: Voices travel together, same interval, like synchronized swimmers.
• Similar Motion: Same direction but different intervals, like a scenic bike ride with friends.
• Oblique Motion: One voice stays put while another ascends or descends, like a watchful guard and a wandering minstrel.
• Contrary Motion: Voices move in opposite directions; it's like a seesaw made of sound.

Here’s how to ensure your outer voices (soprano and bass) play nice:

• Stepwise motion is your BFF – avoid those roller-coaster leaps.
• Keep common tones between adjacent chords in the same part.
• Stick to the high-to-low hierarchy (Soprano-Alto-Tenor-Bass, aka SATB) to sidestep voice crossing (think musical Twister!).
• Avoid parallel fifths and octaves like bad haircuts – never a good look!
• Ditch augmented and diminished intervals like a hot potato unless you’re seeking dissonance.
• Resolve that leading tone up by step to avoid loose ends.

Oh, and dodging dissonances between outer voices is generally good practice, unless spiciness is your aim. Careful with those cross-relations – chromatic notes should never be frenemies!

Creating a bass line to rival any virtuoso? Follow these:

• Align your chords with the soprano line’s harmony.
• Stick to tonic, supertonic, subdominant, and dominant triads. They’re your bread and butter.
• Repeating a specific harmony is cool as long as it starts on a strong beat (think musical weightlifting 🏋️).
• Add melodic interest with diverse upward and downward motions – this is a bass line, not a monotone drone!
• Allowable leaps: thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, and octaves. Just make sure diminished fifths descend and resolve properly.

You got this! Balance those notes, keep the quarter note in mind, and you’re golden.

To ace your figured bass and chord progression identification by ear:

• Trust those outer voices; they’re your detective kit to deciphering chords.
• Avoid leapy top voices – stepwise motion is the hint you're after.
• Once you’ve pinpointed the top and bottom voices, the harmony practically solves itself. Remember to take educated guesses when in doubt – even Bach had to start somewhere!

Finally, let’s crack open the positions of spacing:

• Closed Position: Upper voices (Soprano, Alto, Tenor) are snug as a bug, huddled close.
• Open Position: There’s some breathing room; extra space between voices.

Closed position is on the left like a cozy, musical slumber party, and open position is on the right like an introvert’s paradise.

• Cadence: A musical period that provides resolution.
• Chord Progressions: The roadmap of harmony.
• Chord Spelling: Naming your chords right.
• Common Tones: Shared notes between chords.
• Contrary Motion: Voices moving like todlers, in opposite directions.
• Fermata: The musical symbol for "Chill here for a bit."
• Figured Bass: The bass line with secret code for harmony.
• SATB: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass - the vocal Avengers!
• Seventh Chords: Four notes adding depth.
• Tritone: The danger zone, full of tension.

Voila! You’re now equipped to navigate the intricate waters of Harmony and Voice Leading like a seasoned sea captain. Dive into those four-part harmonies with confidence, and may your chords always resolve beautifully! 🎼🎉

So, go ahead and serenade the AP Music Theory exam with your newfound knowledge, dazzling them with your inner Bach – or should we say rock star? 🎸