Voice Leading Without the Mystery

Move each voice the shortest distance to the next chord and harmony stops sounding like a sequence and starts sounding like a story.

Listen to this lesson

Synthesized voice, not a studio recording

Speed

Ready to read aloud · 1/13

What you will learn

The four classical voice leading rules and why they exist.
How common tones tie two chords together.
How to choose chord inversions that minimise motion.
Why parallel fifths and octaves weaken the texture.

The concept

Voice leading is about treating a chord progression like four people singing at the same time. Each voice (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) has its own line, and the smoother those lines, the more inevitable the harmony sounds.

The cardinal rule is minimum motion. If two chords share a note, hold that note in the same voice. If a voice has to move, prefer a step over a leap. Big leaps between chords are not forbidden, but they cost dramatic capital and should be spent on purpose.

Parallel perfect fifths and octaves between two voices weaken the independence of the texture because the two voices momentarily collapse into one. Classical voice leading avoids them; rock often uses them on purpose (power chords are nothing but parallel fifths).

On the guitar

Play C major and F major using open chord shapes. Notice how the C note moves down to C (held), the E moves up to F, the G stays as G. That smoothness is voice leading at work.

Try the same chords with closed triads on the top three strings and you can hear the contrary motion even more clearly.

Exercises

01
Take a I IV V I progression and play it twice: once with chord shapes that leap, once with inversions that move stepwise.
02
Identify the common tone between any two chords you encounter and hold it in one voice.
03
Play a four chord progression using only closed triads on the top three strings.
04
Sing the soprano line of a hymn while playing the rest of the chord on guitar.

Common mistakes

Treating voice leading as a classical rule book. It is mostly common sense once you hear it.
Always slapping a chord with the root in the bass. Inversions exist for a reason.

Listen, play, create

Listen: any Bach chorale demonstrates near perfect voice leading.
Play: arrange a pop song with closed triad voicings that move stepwise.
Create: write a four bar progression where the soprano voice moves in steps only.