Brainlag MusicWhat to always do and never do when one chord moves to the next, one rule at a time, each with the reason.
Four lines, not a row of chords
In a progression every voice moves on to the next chord, so you are really writing four melodies at once.
Until now each chord stood on its own. The rules all aim at one thing: four lines that are each easy to sing and that stay independent of each other. The next screens take one rule at a time, with the reason for it.
Learn the rules for moving between chords by heart
- Always: the leading note in the soprano rises to the tonic; keep a note the two chords share in the same voice; move by step where you can; keep the upper voices within an octave of each other.
- Never: consecutive 5ths or octaves; a doubled leading note; an augmented interval in one part; voices that cross or overlap.
The rest of this lesson and its 4 practice questions are in Brainlag Music Theory.
Screen 1 of 8, free to read.
- 4 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards