chord identification understanding voice-leading style awareness The ToolKIT, which is accessible from all pages of the site, outlines the three main analytical skills that TonalityGUIDE.com aims to develop. It also links to a short introduction to the study of tonality as well as a reminder of some basics (note and interval labels, clefs and transpositions).

Composers avoided parallel fifths and octaves because these intervals stand out in such chord progressions. The same effect is created by progressions that move towards fifths or octaves in similar motion. As with parallel progressions, this is simply a matter of taste. There is nothing wrong with similar motion of this sort other than that the aesthetic of their times lead composers such as Palestrina, Bach, Mozart and Beethoven to avoid the sonority created most of the time.

A similar effect to the parallel fifths in the tenor and bass voices in the first example is created by the voice-leading in the second, in which the two voices move towards a fifth in similar motion. The third example follows the same basic chord progression with neither parallel fifths nor similar motion towards a fifth. The difference between these should be clearly audible - the fifth sonorities do not stand out in the final example.

information and orientation as you browse around TonalityGUIDE.com chord identification understanding voice-leading style awareness