There are many cycles in music - such as the cycles of 4ths, fifth, chromatics etc. These cycles can be used to 'codify' one's practice to endsure that a pattern is thoroughly learned.
I was wondering if there was any way of codifying voice leading. Obviously there are the standard inversions of a given chord, but beyond this is there a way of systematically studying how one can move from chord A to B? I am speaking of modal harmony.

thanks all


Zero.

Hi Zero,
Good voice leading is good voice leading. But you can check out books on modal counterpoint (Renaissance) if you want something that is more modal (rather than tonal). Knud Jeppesen's book is quite good. Fux's book is probably a better place to start since it presents the material in a graduated series of levels.

Hi Zero,

Voice leading is something that just takes practice. There are some pretty standard progressions etc., but they're so commonplace that they just sound boring (to my ears). So I'm always looking for new and interesting harmonic progressions and voicings. I would think for composers this aspect of the job might even be "fun." In my experience it's actually easier to voice lead more complex harmonies than simple tertian harmony.

I've been finding in my own studies of harmony that there are only a few basic patterns of voice-leading, for example parallel 3rds and 6ths are good, oblique patterns (where one voice stays on the same note but another moves) help prevent many voice leading problems, watching for augmented 2nds and 4ths, doubling the root if the chord is in root position, and the either the 3rd or the 5th (not sure exactly which) if it's in first inversion, never doubling the leading tone in a 7th chord.

Mark Sarnecki's workbook/textbook on Harmony will help a lot--I didn't understand it until I used his workbook.

Meri