line supports the soprano voice by making explicit its harmonic meaning.
Function of Alto and Tenor
Alto and tenor complete the tones of the chord framed by the soprano and bass; their contour is less important than their role in connecting the chords.
MELODIC SHAPE + HARMONIC DIRECTION = PROGRESSION
What creates melodic shape?
An interesting contour that moves toward and ends on a tone in tonic chord (1st., 3rd or 5th note of scale) or dominant chord (5th 7th or2nd note of scale) as goal of movement. Ending on the 2nd or 7th note of the scale creates a very open effect melodically&emdash;you are a step away from the tonic note; ending on a note of the tonic triad (1st, 3rd or 5th of scale) is more closed; but a melodic phrase always sounds somewhat open unless the melodic phrase ends on the tonic note
What creates harmonic direction?
A chord progression that ends on tonic or dominant harmony; unless an unexpected effect is desired, these are the ONLY chords for ending a phrase for several centuries!
Phrases end harmonically open (on V), half cadence or harmonically closed (on I), authentic cadence; when a closed harmonic cadence on I has the tonic note in the soprano it is maximally closed, and called a perfect authentic cadence.
Ways to extend the tonic chord, from least movement to most movement away in the soprano voice from scale degrees in tonic chord (1, 3, 5) to notes to scale degrees in dominant harmony (with 7th) (5, 7, 2, 4). Note that, except for the 1, what happens in the soprano is always supported by I==>V==>I in the bass.
1. CHORDAL SKIP (I only). Move within the tonic chord in the Soprano, keep the root of the chord in the bass, harmonize the soprano with shifts in spacing and doubling of the tonic chord. Successive chordal skips can extend the tonic triad without chord change over a long period of time; in a single exercise three successive skips is a maximum
2. USE COMMON TONE (I==>V==>I) Keep the 5th degree of the scale in the soprano (5Ë5Ë5). Chord progression from I to V then back to I under the soprano: bass moves from root of I to root of V to root of I; inner voices move by step to the nearest chord tones.
3. MOVE AWAY FROM AND BACK TO NOTE IN TONIC CHORD WITH NEIGHBOR TONE (I==>V==>I ): Soprano moves scale degrees 1==>7==>1, 1==>2==>1, 3==>2==>3. Chord progression from I to V then back to I under the soprano: bass moves from root of I to root of V to root of I; inner voices move by step to the nearest chord tones. Note that these vary greatly in effect; half step neighbor notes in the soprano voice are considerably more intense than whole step neighbors. Note that at this point the fifth of the tonic triad has no usable neighbor tones.
4. FILL THIRD IN TONIC TRIAD WITH A PASSING TONE (I==>V==>I) Soprano moves scale degrees 1==>2==>3 or 3==>2==>1. Chord progression from I to V then back to I under the soprano: bass moves from root of I to root of V to root of I; inner voices move by step to the nearest chord tones.
5. SAME AS 2, but use V7 chord.
6. SAME AS 3, but use V7 chord. Note that there is one new neighbor possibility in the soprano that is used a great deal: 3==>4==>3.
7. SAME AS 3, but use V7 chord. Note that the soprano can now fill the upper third of the tonic triad will a passing tone: 5==>4=>3; but because the passing tone is the 7th on the V chord, it can only progress down at this point in our work.
8. LINK THESE TOGETHER:
CHORDAL SKIP + COMMON TONE: 3==>5==>5==>5 or the reverse.
CHORDAL SKIP + NEIGHBOR TONE: 1==>3==>2==>3 or the reverse
CHORDAL SKIP + PASSING TONE: 1==>3==>2==>1 or the reverse.
DOUBLE NEIGHBOR: 3==>2==>4==>3 or the reverse (note that this one begins to extend the dominant chord; both 2 and 4 are in the V7 chord.
NEIGHBOR NOTE + FILL IN THIRD: 1==>7==>1==>2==>3 or the reverse
MANY MORE POSSIBILITIES!
HERE'S THE DOMINANT PERSPECTIVE
1. CHORDAL SKIP (V only). Move within the dominant chord in the Soprano, keep the root of the chord in the bass, harmonize the soprano with shifts in spacing and doubling of the dominant chord. This can also be done with the V7 chord, bu