Four Part Writing

1. Four Part Writing Rule #1: Know thy range, and stay in it!

2. Four Part Writing Rule #1: Know thy range, and stay in it! Soprano and Tenor stems go UP Alto and Bass stems go DOWN

3. Four Part Writing Rule #2: Know your characters. Bass: Rule breaker. Supplies harmonic function. Soprano: Diva. Gets the melody. Alto and Tenor: Boring. The less they move, the better. Tenere – “to hold”

4. Four Part Writing Rule #3: COSP! Between the bass the soprano, especially. Contrary Oblique Similar Parallel NO Parallel 1, 5, or 8. The ear hears this as 3 part instead of 4.

5. Four Part Writing Rule #4: Don’t confuse the ear. A) DON’T CROSS VOICES Here, the tenor becomes higher than the alto. Then the ear doesn’t know which voice is which.

6. Four Part Writing Rule #4: Don’t confuse the ear. B) DON’T OVERLAP Here, the alto moves higher than the last soprano note Also, the tenor moves higher than the last alto note

7. Four Part Writing Rule #5: Watch space except for bass, no more than “One for two, two for three.” (One octave for two voices, two octaves for three voices.) 4th = OK 10th = NOT OK Oct + 5th = OK 3rd = OK Oct + 6th = OK

8. Four Part Writing Rule #6: Double root first, 5th second, 3rd with reason. Never “fa” or “ti”. A chord in second inversion (6) should always double the fifth. 4 Why? Because it functions as a V chord. (5th)

9. Four Part Writing A chord in second inversion (6) should always double the fifth. 4

10. Four Part Writing A chord in second inversion (6) should always double the fifth. 4

11. Four Part Writing Rule #7: Resolve the tension. Ti  Do Fa Mi 7th chord: the 7th resolves down

12. Four Part Writing On these rules, thou shalt be quizzed. Repetitively. And it will be FUN!!!!

13. Recognize the Errors

14. Recognize the Errors

15. Recognize the Errors