Traditional voice leading rules

Definition

Traditional voice leading rules are guidelines for how individual melodic lines (voices) should move in relation to each other to create smooth and harmonically pleasing music.

Analogy

Think of traditional voice leading rules as traffic rules. Just like how traffic rules help cars navigate smoothly and avoid collisions, voice leading rules help different melodic lines move in harmony without clashing or creating dissonance.

Related terms

Parallel motion: Parallel motion occurs when two or more voices move in the same direction by the same interval. It can be compared to a group of people walking side by side.

Contrary motion: Contrary motion occurs when two voices move in opposite directions. It can be compared to two people walking towards each other.

Voice exchange: Voice exchange happens when two voices exchange pitches, resulting in a change of roles between them. It can be compared to characters swapping roles or identities in a story.