Omission of Chord Tones & Rootless Voicing
When voicing these harmonies, it is common practice to omit certain chord tones. The 5th is the most commonly omitted note in a chord. Since the 5th appears early in the harmonic series, its main function is to reinforce the root rather than add strong harmonic colour. As a result, removing the 5th usually does not significantly change the character of the chord.
As we move into more advanced left-hand voicing and inversions beyond root position, one of the most common techniques is rootless voicing. This approach is widely used in ensemble and bands, where the bass player already provides the root of the harmony. By leaving out the root, the pianist can focus on the essential colour tones and achieve smoother, more modern voice leading.
Voice Leading: Definition & Approach
Voice leading (also known as part writing) describes how individual voices (melodic movement) move smoothly through chords (harmonic progressions). SATB voice leading, specifically, describes four-part writing arranged for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices.
In piano-style voice leading, the three upper voices are typically written in the treble staff (played by the right hand), while the bass line is written in the bass clef (played by the left hand) as a single voice.
For musicians, it is essential to develop the ability to think both vertically and horizontally, understanding harmony as chords stacked in space, while also hearing how each individual voice moves smoothly from one note to the next.
Types of Motion in Voice Leading
Two following definitions describe the main types of motion between two voices. Understanding these motions is essential for creating smooth and effective harmonic movement.
When we have contrary motion, two voices, such as the soprano and the bass, move in opposite directions, either by step or by leap.
Oblique motion occurs when one voice remains on the same pitch while the other moves up or down by step or leap.
For example, one voice may (soprano) remain on the same pitch (like C – C, common note) while other voice moves up or down by step or leap.
When we have similar motion, both voices move in the same direction, either ascending or descending, by step or leap. This is also known as direct motion. For example, the soprano may move up a third from C to E while the bass moves from C to G, with both voices ascending.
In parallel motion, both voices move in the same ascending or descending direction by the same interval, such as both moving up or down by a fifth.
Smooth Voice Leading in Jazz
So, in jazz and many other musical styles, voice leading should remain smooth, with each voice making small intervallic movements when changing chords, while the bass line often moves in larger intervals.
Furthermore, in more advanced harmonic textures, such as four-part choir writing, we can analyze the voice leading and the motion within a chord progression ( I to V) by focusing on a single voice, for example the soprano line.
To learn more about intervals in melody: https://helenapianotheory.com/chapter-2-musical-interval/
Guide Tones and Shell Voicing
The first type of voice leading involves the two upper voices, focusing on the relationship between the 3rd and 7th of the chord, while the 5th of the chord is often omitted.
In this approach, the bass plays the root of the chord. As the harmony moves from one chord to another, the roots are connected through intervals such as a fifth, second, or third.
When two chords are related by a fifth (such as C7–F7 or G7–Cmaj7), one voice moves between the 3rd and 7th of each chord, while the other voice follows the same tones in the opposite order.
When the chords are related by a second, the voices move in parallel motion: one voice consistently plays the 3rd of each chord, while the other consistently plays the 7th.
As a result, the right hand plays only two interval types, fourths and fifths, in shell voicing.
ii-V-I Voice Leading Exercise
So, in the first exercise, we can observe how the guide tones in the two upper voices “build” the harmonic progression. The chord progression is ii–V–I. The upper voices move stepwise, while the bass maintains the root of each chord and creates a tritone relationship from one chord to another.
Diatonic Voice Movement
In diatonic voice movement, only the notes of a single key signature are used. In this case, the voicing is centred around one tonal centre (one key). The voices move diatonically by half steps or whole steps. Common tones exist between the first two chords, while the bass moves by a fifth and the upper voices move in contrary motion.
Chromatic Voice Movement
In chromatic voice movement, the voices move by chromatic semitones while still maintaining common tones and contrary motion.