Voice Leading Guidelines

Compiled from Music in Theory and Practice, Eighth Ed. Vol 1 & 2 Appx. A and class notes

Stylistic Guidelines
Doubling
Type Position Double as Req’d
ALL Any Never double tendency tones
Avoid doubling 5th factor

Major / Minor triads Root Root

1 Inversion Sopr, Bass (except V6)
st

2nd Inversion Bass (except III6)

Diminished triads (ii°, vii°) 1st Inversion Bass (3rd factor)

Dominant 7th 1st Inversion

2nd Inversion
3rd Inversion

Leading-tone 7th 1st Inversion

2nd Inversion
3rd Inversion

Non-dominant 7th 1st Inversion

2nd Inversion
3rd Inversion

Borrowed Chords All As used in their normal modes

Neapolitan 1st Inversion Bass

Aug 6th Any Never double tones that make +6

Alt Dominants Any Never double altered tones

Inviolate
1. Avoid parallel perfect unison (P1), fifth (P5) and octave (P8) motion. Repeated tones in the same
voice and bass octaves are not considered parallel.
2. Never double the leading tone of any scale.
3. Pitches must remain within the assigned vocal range (SATB)
4. Avoid melodic augmented second (A2) or fourth (A4; AKA tritone).
May violate
1. Avoid crossing voices unless doing so improves voice leading.
Note: If this must be employed frequently, you should reconsider the placement of your
melodies and harmonies
2. Spacing between adjacent voices should not exceed an octave in the upper three voices. Spacing
between tenor and bass should not exceed two octaves
3. Do not overlap adjacent voices by more than a whole step unless it improves voice leading.
Note: If this must be employed frequently, you should reconsider the placement of your
melodies and harmonies
4. Do not move in parallel motion to perfect intervals in the outer voices as this may create the
effect of parallel perfect motion.
5. Use unequal fifth motion (D5 – P5) sparingly.
6. A2 and A4 melodic motion is never found in 18th-century writing
Exceptions:
Descending d5 appears sometimes in bass, but never in soprano.
The descending d4 is diatonic in the harmonic minor scale ( 3̂ – 7̂ )
7. The leading tone should progress upwards to the tonic in an outer voice

Root Position
Both chords are in root position and the roots lie a P4 or P5 apart
 Keep the common tone and move the remaining two upper voices stepwise to the new chord
tones. If handled correctly, the roots of both chords will be doubled.
 If you cannot keep the common tone, especially when the soprano voice descends 2̂ - 1̂ , move
all three upper voices in similar motion to the nearest chord tone. If handled correctly, the roots
will be doubled.

Chords lie a major or minor third apart

 Keep the common tones and move the remaining voices stepwise. If handled properly, the roots
will be doubled

Chords lie a major or minor second apart

 Move the upper three voices to the nearest chord tone in contrary motion to the bass. If
handled correctly, the roots will be doubled.
EXCEPTION: V-vi or V-VI. In this case, double the third factor of the vi or VI chord. Only the
upper two voices will move contrary to the bass.

Repeated Chords
 Maintain proper doubling and keep the usual order of voices. You may change inversion (I – I6 –
I) to provide apparent change. See Second Inversion for additional guidance.

First-Inversion Triads
 Double any triad factor that facilitates smooth voice leading
 EXCEPTION: never double leading or tendency tones (typically 2̂ , 4̂ , 6̂ , 7̂ , depending on the
chord and scale)

vii°6 Triad
The leading-tone triad is nearly always found in first inversion and progresses most often to the tonic. It
shares a common (albeit weaker) dominant function with the V chord because it shares two chord tones
with the V ( 7̂ , 9̂ )

 Double the third (bass - preferred) or fifth factor (root is a tendency tone). Move all voices as
stepwise as possible (avoid A2 or tritone motion).

ii°6 Triad
Although the iiᵒ6 triad is a diminished chord, it is considered to carry a predominant function.

 Double the third (bass - preferred) or root. Move all voices as stepwise as possible (avoid tritone
motion).

Second-Inversion
Second-inversion chords are very unstable compared to root and first-inversion triads. These should be
used with extreme caution.

 approach and depart from second-inversion chords with as few skips as possible
 only in arpeggiated bass scenarios is the bass approached or left by skip
 use only the four types of chords: Cadential, Passing Bass, Arpeggiated Bass and Pedal Bass

Dominant 7th Chords (V7)

 Resolve the third factor ( 7̂ ) up to the tonic
 Resolve the seventh factor ( 4̂ ) down to 3̂
 Omit the fifth factor ( 2̂ ) and double the root if necessary to facilitate smooth voice leading

Leading-Tone 7th Chords (vii°7, vii±7)

 Resolve the root ( 7̂ ) up to the tonic
 Resolve the seventh factor ( 6̂ ) down to 5̂
 Omit the fifth factor ( 2̂ ) and double the root if necessary to facilitate smooth voice leading
Note: avoid parallel P5 when resolving 3rd and 5th factors

Nondominant 7th Chords (all other x7 chords)

 Resolve the seventh factor down one step
 Resolve all other factors according to standard voice leading
Note: avoid parallel P5 when resolving 3rd and 5th factors
Neapolitan 6th Chords (bII6 or N6)
Note: the N6 with a seventh factor is used as a tritone substitution for the V7/V

 Resolve the third factor up to the root of the V chord

 Resolve all other factors according to standard voice leading (typically down stepwise)
 Avoid chromatic movement (Db to D for example, C# to D is ok) in any voice
 Avoid parallel P5 when moving to first- and second-inversion chords by inverting the intervals to
P4

Augmented 6th Chords (It+6, Fr+6, Ger+6)

Note: the N6 with a seventh factor is a tritone substitution for the V7/V

 It+6 and Fr+6 typically resolve to V, but may do so through I6$

Altered Dominant Chords (V#5, Vb5)

Note: the N6 with a seventh factor is used as a tritone substitution for the V7/V

 Resolve the third factor ( 7̂ ) up to the tonic

 Resolve the altered tone in the direction of its alteration (#5 resolves to 3̂ , ¨5 resolves to 1̂ )
 Resolve the seventh factor ( 4̂ ) down to 3̂