MUSIC THEORY

Mod 26

• Subject of the Day: Chord Connection in 3 and 4 Voices: Repeated Roots
• Reading Assignment: Textbook, pp. 85-86
• Written Assignment: Workbook, ex. 6-1
• Semester Schedule

To double or triple a note means that more than one voice will have a specific chord member.  In the chord below, the bass and soprano are doubled; that is, they both are sounding the root of the chord.

In 4 voices, root position,  usually all chord members are present and normally the root of the chord will be doubled.
In 3 voices, root position,  there can be either a complete triad (all chord members present) or possibly a missing  5th of the chord.  In this case usually the root is doubled.  The 3rd must never be omitted.

For the remainder of the semester we will be writing chords in root position only.   Also we will be concentrating on the connecting of chords in four voices, although some work will be done with three voices as well.  In root position, of course, the root of the chord will be in the bass as well as in one other voice since the root is normally the doubled note in root position.   In other words, every chord must have 2 roots, 1 third, and 1 fifth.

Below are two methods for connecting two repeated triads (two chords which have the same root), both in root position.

    a.    Move the three upper voices in similar motion to the nearest note of the second chord.

    b.    In addition to the bass, one other voice remains stationary.  Then the two remaining voices exchange chord tones.

In example a, above, the soprano, alto, and tenor all moved in similar motion (upward) to the nearest note of the chord, spelled DFA.  The soprano had an A.  The nearest note to the A in an upward direction is the D.  The alto moving upward went from a D to an F.  The nearest higher note to the tenor's F is the A.

In example b the procedure is different from procedure a.  In this connection of course the bass repeats since we have a repetition of the same chord.  The one other voice to remain on its note in our example is the soprano, which stays on an A.  The alto and tenor exchange chord tones, the alto moving from D to F and the tenor moving from F to D.  Note that in each case the resulting chord tone distribution remains 2roots, 1 third, and 1 fifth.

In three voices there is no prescribed procedure.  Ensure that when you change, the second chord has the third of the chord present.  Once again, a three voice chord can have all three notes of the chord or it may be incomplete.  If it is incomplete, it must have both root and third; the fifth may be omitted.  In these cases usually the root is doubled.  On final I or i chords it is possible to triple the root with both third and fifth omitted.

If you still have questions, contact Dr. Bartolotta at wbartolo@odu.edu