ThreeVoice Writing with White Notes

1
Three-Voice Writing with White Notes

• The Harmonic Possibilities

2
Harmony

• Vertical sonorities are treated as superimposed
  intervals above the lowest voice.
• All intervals are figured from the lowest voice.
• Sonorities can contain 3 different pitches -- no
  doubling.
• These are equivalent to major and minor triads in
  root position or first inversion.
• 2nd inversion is not used because of the
  dissonant 4th above the lowest voice.
• The wider the spacing the less common.

3
Harmony

• Sonorities may have one pitch doubled.
• The lowest voice is usually the one that is
  doubled.
• Doubling an upper voice at the octave is rare.
• Doubling at the unison is also possible.
• See example 8-4, pg. 78, for a listing of initial
  and final sonorities.

4
Harmony

• Diminished sonorities are always in first
  inversion.
• The dissonance is then between the upper voices
  and does not involve the lowest.
• Raised Ficta is never doubled.
• B-flat can be doubled in some instances.
• Ficta is usually reserved for cadences but it can
  be used for color purposes.
• See example 8-6, pg. 79, for a listing of
  possible 3-note sonorities.

5
Voice Leading

• Write for adjacent parts or even two of one part.
• Try to keep the spacing fairly close, especially
  in the upper parts.
• The total span between bottom and top voice is
  rarely over a 12th.
• Try to use complete sonorities, although cadences
  and some voice-leading concerns may result in
  some doubling.
• The most important concern is the melody.
• Do not worry about chord progressions --
  functional tonality is not a part of this period.

6
Voice Leading

• Perfect intervals still have specific
  requirements.
• Unisons -- doubled pitch -- is permitted on any
  beat but must still be approached and left by
  oblique or contrary motion.
• Parallel Perfect intervals are all forbidden.
• However, sometime voices may cross resulting in
  Parallel P5ths in different voices.
• Fauxbourdon -- extended passages of 6-3 chords --
  is not common.
• The Parallel 4ths are acceptable but if the
  compound interval 10-6 is used it results in
  Parallel 5ths.

7
Voice Leading

• Stepwise successions of 5-6 or 6-5 can be used to
  avoid Parallel 5ths.
• In similar motion to P5ths one voice must move
  stepwise while the other leaps.
• Similar motion to P8vas is not common, but the
  voice leading is the same as 5ths.
• Avoid having all the voices moving in the same
  direction.

8
Dissonance

• Only minim passing tones and suspesions are
  permitted with white notes.
• The dissonance is always figured from the lowest
  voice unless that voice is the dissonance.
• Passing tones may ascend or descend.
• Single Passing Tones are very common.
• The third note may leap against both the Passing
  and Stationary Tones as long as it is consonant
  with both.
• Double Passing Tones in 3rds and 6ths are
  permitted.
• They may be in contrary motion.

9
Dissonance

• Suspensions Refer to examples 8-11 through 8-15
  on pgs. 83 - 85.
• The 4-3 is the most common.
• A 5th or 6th above the suspension is more common
  than an 8va.
• The 7-6 suspension may be accompanied by a 3rd,
  8va, or 5th.
• If accompanied by the 5th, that voice must also
  move to avoid creating a dissonance with the
  suspended voice.
• A change of bass is also possible.

10
Dissonance

• The most common 2-3 bass suspensions are
  accompanied by a 4th or a 5th.
• The use of a 6th or 9th with this suspension is
  rare.
• The 9-8 and 2-1 suspensions are infrequent.
• The 9-8 and the 2-1 are accompanied by a 3rd.
• There are two double suspensions
• A 7th and a 4th moving to a 6th and and 3rd.
• A 9th and a 7th moving to an 8va and a 6th.