PART WRITING GET READY FOR SOME FUN!

ROOT POSITION PART WRITING RULES AND REGULATIONS Four Part Textures: 1. All members of the triad are usually present. The final I chord is sometimes incomplete, consisting of a 3 rd and a tripled root 2. The root is usually doubled. The leading tone (7) is never doubled because it is such a strong tendency tone Three Part Textures: 1. The 5 th of the triad is often omitted. The final I chord may consist of a tripled root. 2. An incomplete triad will usually have the root doubled. The leading tone (7) is never doubled

ROOTS A 4 TH (5 TH ) APART RULES AND REGULATIONS Method #1: In 4 part texture, keep the tone that is the same in the same voice, while the two remaining upper parts move by step in the same direction The stepwise motion will be ascending for root movement of a P5 down and descending for root movement of a P5 up

ROOTS A 4 TH (5 TH ) APART RULES AND REGULATIONS Method #2: Move all 3 upper parts in the same direction, with no leap larger than a 3 rd. The motion will be descending for a root movement of a P5 down and ascending for a P5 up

ROOTS A 3 RD (6 TH ) APART RULES AND REGULATIONS Four Part Textures: Two common tones and stepwise: –Assuming that the first of the two root position triads has a doubled root, only one of the upper voices will need to move. –The two upper voices that have tones in common with the 2 nd chord remain the same and the remaining voice moves by step –Stepwise motion will be: UP (descending 3 rd /Ascending 6 th ) DOWN (ascending 3 rd /Descending 6 th )

ROOTS A 3 RD (6 TH ) APART RULES AND REGULATIONS Three Part Textures: Tricky situations can occur In ascending root movement, do not omit the 5 th Why? Listener might perceive the chord as just being an inversion of the first chord

ROOTS A 2 ND (7 TH ) APART RULES AND REGULATIONS Four Part Textures: Contrary to the bass: If the root is doubled in the first chord (usually the case): If bass moves up by step (or down by 7 th ): upper voices move down to the nearest chord tone If bass moves down by step (or up by 7 th ): upper voices move up to the nearest chord tone

ROOTS A 2 ND (7 TH ) APART RULES AND REGULATIONS DECEPTIVE PROGRESSION: The deceptive progression V-vi (or V-VI) presents special problems; In most cases: The LT (7) moves parallel with the bass, resolving up to tonic (1) Other 2 voices move down, contrary to the bass, to the next available chord tones Result? A doubled third in vi (or VI) chord. In MAJOR: if LT is in an inner voice, it may move down by step to the 6 th scale degree (resolution isn’t apparent) NOT ACCEPTABLE TO DO IN MINOR (Creates a +2)