# Four part textures writtings?



## jamesnnnnn

*Root Position Part Writing with Repeated Roots *
FOUR-PART TEXTURES
1. All members of the triad are usually present. The final I chord is sometimes incomplete, consisting of a 3rd and a tripled root.
2. The root is usually doubled. The leading tone (7) is almost never doubled because it is such a strong tendency tone.
Where are all the triads present usually? What you mean by this? In each chord, in first chord? What? And, okay, last chord is not completed, 3rd or 5th is taken out.
Root tone is usually doubled, but where is it doubled, in each chord in progression. Where 7th is not doubled, in single chord, first chord, last chord, none chord? You know, I need logic.
I have this book called Tonal Harmony by Stefan Kostka, so if anyone can explain example above, and others as they are...
Root Position Part Writing with Roots a 4th
(5th) Apart
FOUR-PART TEXTURES
1. Common tone and stepwise. One method for writing this root relationship in four
parts is to keep in the same voice the tone that is common to both chords, while the
remaining two upper parts move by step in the same direction. Th e stepwise motion
will be ascending for root movement of a P5 down (Ex. 6-2a) and descending for root
movement of a P5 up (Ex. 6-2b). Th e purpose of the ties here and in subsequent examples
is only to point out the common tones and not to imply that they must be tied.
Similar motion by 2nd or 3rd. A second method moves all three upper parts in the
same direction, with no leap larger than a 3rd. Th e motion will be descending for a root
movement of a P5 down (or a P4 up) and ascending for a root movement of a P5 up (or
P4 down). Notice that the leading tone in Example 6-3c does not resolve to 1 but instead ˆ
leaps down to 5. Thˆ is is perfectly acceptable if it occurs in an inner voice, as it does here.
Tertian leap, common tone, stepwise. A third method, although not as smooth as
the fi rst two, is useful for changing between close and open structures. As in the fi rst
method, we keep in the same voice the tone that is common to both chords, but the
voice that has the 3rd in the fi rst chord leaps to provide the 3rd in the second chord.
Th e remaining voice moves by step. Notice that the leading tone in Example 6-4c does
not resolve to ˆ
1 but instead leaps up to ˆ
As with Example 6-3c, this is perfectly acceptable
if it occurs in an inner voice.
Root Position Part Writing with Roots a 3rd
(6th) Apart
FOUR-PART TEXTURES Two common tones and stepwise. Assuming that the fi rst of the two root position triads
has a doubled root, only one of the upper voices will need to move. Th e two upper voices
that have tones in common with the second chord remain stationary, whereas the remaining
voice moves by step. Th e stepwise motion will be upward for roots a descending 3rd
apart (Ex. 6-6a) and downward for roots an ascending 3rd apart (Ex. 6-6b).
Root Position Part Writing with Roots a 2nd
*(7th) Apart *
FOUR-PART TEXTURES
Contrary to the bass. If the root is doubled in the fi rst chord, as is usually the case, the
voice leading is usually quite simple: If the bass moves up by step, the upper voices move
down to the nearest chord tone (Ex. 6-8a), whereas if the bass moves down by step, the
upper voices move up to the nearest chord tone (Ex. 6-8b).
Th e progression V–vi (or V–VI) is known as the deceptive progression, for reasons that
will become clear in the next chapter. In terms of voice leading, deceptive progressions
present some special problems. In most cases the leading tone (7) moves parallel with the ˆ
bass, resolving up to tonic (ˆ
1), whereas the other two voices move down, contrary to the
bass, to the next available chord tones. Th is results in a doubled 3rd in the vi (or VI) chord,
as in Example 6-9a and b. In the major mode, if the leading tone is in an inner voice, it may
move down by step to 6, as in Example 6-9c, because the lack of resolution is not so appar- ˆ
ent to the ear. Th is is not acceptable in the minor mode, however, because of the awkward
interval of a 2 that results, as in Example 6-9d.
Can someone give some simplicity into this and give simple answers for each of this four parth writting rules, I am kicking my head for 5 days reading this in circles without any clue.


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## Vox Gabrieli

May I ask what the source is? 

I read it over, and whatever you're reading isn't giving any definite descriptions of anything and I agree it is very confusing.


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## EdwardBast

What you have quoted aren't rules for part writing. They are suggestions for how to avoid breaking the rules. They are not worth memorizing or worrying about. Use them as a last resort if you find yourself making errors.

The only important principle of part writing (voice-leading) in classical music is: Strive for the maximum independence and integrity of the individual lines, prioritizing the soprano and bass. Anything that obscures or violates this independence and integrity should be avoided. Hence the rules:

1. Don't write parallel 5ths and octaves. (This destroys independence.)
2. Don't cross voices. (This damages integrity of line by confusing which line went where.)
3. Don't make all of the voices move in the same direction. (independence)
4. Avoid direct octaves or 5ths (8vas and 5ths approached by parallel motion) between soprano and bass. (independence)
5. Thirds and fifths of chords in the bass should not be approached and left by leap (integrity, makes the bass line weak).
6. More than an octave distance between the voices should be avoided, except between the bass and tenor. (integrity of the texture)
7. Where possible, put roots in the bass (makes for greater integrity of the bass line).
8. The 5th of the chord can be omitted if necessary, but not the root or 3rd.

Doubling: root preferred, then 3rd, then 5th. Don't double leading tones and 7ths because if you do, both will want to go in the same direction; leading tones by nature want to go up, 7ths want to go down. The exception to the leading tone rule is at final cadences, where leading tones often drop to the 5th of the tonic chord. (Bach did this all the time.) 

That's pretty much it.

A general suggestion: Writing satisfying soprano and bass lines is 90% of success in part writing.


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## jamesnnnnn

Richard Macduff said:


> May I ask what the source is?
> 
> I read it over, and whatever you're reading isn't giving any definite descriptions of anything and I agree it is very confusing.


Tonal harmony by Stefan Kostka.
Very confusing book, I do not recommend it at all.
The book explains all, but its as someone with bad English, worse than mine wrote it.



EdwardBast said:


> What you have quoted aren't rules for part writing. They are suggestions for how to avoid breaking the rules. They are not worth memorizing or worrying about. Use them as a last resort if you find yourself making errors.
> 
> The only important principle of part writing (voice-leading) in classical music is: Strive for the maximum independence and integrity of the individual lines, prioritizing the soprano and bass. Anything that obscures or violates this independence and integrity should be avoided. Hence the rules:
> 
> 1. Don't write parallel 5ths and octaves. (This destroys independence.)
> 2. Don't cross voices. (This damages integrity of line by confusing which line went where.)
> 3. Don't make all of the voices move in the same direction. (independence)
> 4. Avoid direct octaves or 5ths (8vas and 5ths approached by parallel motion) between soprano and bass. (independence)
> 5. Thirds and fifths of chords in the bass should not be approached by leap (integrity, makes the bass line weak).
> 6. More than an octave distance between the voices should be avoided, except between the bass and tenor. (integrity of the texture)
> 7. Where possible, put roots in the bass (makes for greater integrity of the bass line).
> 8. The 5th of the chord can be omitted if necessary, but not the root or 3rd.
> 
> Doubling: root preferred, then 3rd, then 5th. Don't double leading tones and 7ths because if you do, both will want to go in the same direction; leading tones by nature want to go up, 7ths want to go down. The exception to the leading tone rule is at final cadences, where leading tones often drop to the 5th of the tonic chord. (Bach did this all the time.)
> 
> That's pretty much it.
> 
> A general suggestion: Writing satisfying soprano and bass lines is 90% of success in part writing.


Thanks, Edward.
You just explained all Adlers book for Orchestration in just one post, without going into details.
Now, I just have to get used to stick to this rule as max as possible, and to find some good book about counterpoint.


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