All Flashcards
Define SATB.
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass - the four main vocal parts in choral music, arranged from highest to lowest.
What is four-part harmony?
A rich sound created by four voices, each with its own melody that harmonizes with the others.
Define voice leading.
How individual melodic lines move in relation to each other to create smooth and interesting textures.
What is Roman Numeral Analysis?
Figuring out each chord's diatonic function and inversion within a key.
What does 'realizing a figured bass' mean?
Taking figured bass notation and turning it into fully voiced four-part harmony.
Define tendency tones.
Notes that have a strong pull to resolve in a specific direction (e.g., leading tone to tonic).
Define SATB.
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass - the four main vocal parts in choral music, arranged from highest to lowest.
What is four-part harmony?
A musical texture where four voices (SATB) each have their own melody that harmonizes with the others.
Define voice leading.
How individual melodic lines move in relation to each other, creating smooth and interesting textures.
What does realizing a figured bass mean?
Taking figured bass notation and turning it into fully voiced four-part harmony.
Define tendency tones.
Notes that have a strong pull to resolve in a specific direction (e.g., leading tone to tonic).
What type of motion should be used in the soprano line?
Mostly stepwise motion to avoid excessive leaps.
What should you do with common tones between chords?
Keep common tones in the same voice when possible.
What is the proper order of voices in SATB?
Maintain soprano-alto-tenor-bass from high to low to avoid voice crossing.
Why should you avoid parallel fifths and octaves?
Parallel fifths and octaves create a weak and undesirable sound in voice leading.
How should the leading tone resolve in the outer voices?
Leading tones in outer voices should always resolve up by step to the tonic.
What is a general rule for doubling notes in triads?
Double the root of a triad whenever possible.
What should you do with tendency tones?
Tendency tones (leading tone, chordal seventh) must resolve appropriately.
What are the voice leading rules regarding spacing?
Avoid voice crossing; spacing between soprano, alto, and tenor should be less than an octave.
In similar motion to perfect intervals, how should the upper voice move?
If outer voices move to a perfect interval by similar motion, the upper voice should move by step.
What is the rule about doubling in 6/4 chords?
Always double the bass in 6/4 chords.
What is the rule for doubling leading tones in outer voices?
Don't double leading tones in outer voices.