Consecutive Fifths and Consecutive Octaves - Music Theory
TLDRIn this educational video, Gareth explores the concept of consecutive octaves and fifths in music composition, a common challenge for composers. He explains that while certain music, like Beethoven's sonatas, may feature these consecutively for textural reasons, they're generally advised against in harmony to avoid redundancy. Using practical examples, Gareth demonstrates how consecutive fifths and octaves occur when parts move in parallel, and why they're considered to detract from the music's texture. He offers strategies for identifying and avoiding these consecutives, emphasizing the importance of contrary motion and careful part writing to enhance musical harmony and texture.
Takeaways
- 😀 Consecutive fifths and octaves refer to melodic movement between two chords where two parts move in parallel motion by the same interval
- 👂They often occur when writing four-part harmony and moving from one chord to another
- 🔎 Consecutives are deemed problematic in the musical fabric, not when used as a textural device like octave doubling
- 🎶 Perfect fifth to perfect fifth between two parts is considered consecutive fifths
- 🎵 Consecutive octaves follow the same principle but with octaves instead of fifths
- 😖 Avoiding consecutives can improve harmony, balance and texture
- 🧐 Contrary motion between outer parts helps avoid consecutives when writing harmony
- 🔍 Check each pair of parts systematically to identify consecutive fifths/octaves
- 💡 Consecutives can often be fixed by changing chord inversion, note order or outer parts
- 🎓 Understanding consecutive fifths/octaves helps improve part writing technique
Q & A
What are consecutive fifths and octaves?
-Consecutive fifths and octaves refer to melodic movement between two chords or notes where the interval between the two notes is a perfect fifth or an octave. For example, if you have an F and C a fifth apart move to a G and D a fifth apart, that is consecutive fifths.
Why are composers advised to avoid writing consecutive fifths and octaves?
-Consecutive fifths and octaves are generally considered poor voice leading in common practice music. They can create a feeling of melodic lines simply sliding up and down together in parallel, rather than sounding like independent harmonic lines.
When are consecutive octaves acceptable?
-Consecutive octaves may be an intentional feature of the musical texture, for example doubling a melodic line at the octave. They are only considered problematic in the basic harmonic framework of the music.
What is the best way to spot consecutive fifths and octaves?
-The best way is to systematically check each pair of parts - soprano against alto, soprano against tenor, soprano against bass etc. This will help flush out any consecutive fifths or octaves between the different voices.
How can you fix consecutive fifths and octaves?
-You can fix them by changing the chord inversion, rearranging notes within the chord, or substituting an entirely different chord. The goal is to avoid the parallel movement while maintaining smooth voice leading between chords.
Why does contrary motion between outer voices help avoid consecutive fifths and octaves?
-When the top and bottom voices move in contrary motion - i.e. in opposite directions - it reduces the chance of consecutive fifths and octaves occurring between them. Similar motion in parallel by the same interval often causes issues.
What's the difference between consecutive and parallel fifths/octaves?
-There is no actual difference - consecutive and parallel fifths/octaves refer to the same phenomenon of two voices moving to another fifth/octave between chords. Some theorists use the terms interchangeably.
Why is it important to distinguish perfect and imperfect fifths?
-Only perfect fifths are considered problematic for consecutives. A perfect fifth followed by a diminished or augmented fifth does not count, as the sound and function is different.
Do consecutive fifths and octaves always sound bad?
-Not necessarily - sometimes the effect sounds fine. But they are still considered questionable part writing practice in common practice harmony, so composers are advised to avoid them where possible.
What causes the thinning of texture from too many repeated notes?
-Having many voices on the same pitch, like 3 D's in the example, can overly emphasize that note while leaving other harmony notes underrepresented. This thins the texture rather than allowing a richness from distinctive parts.
Outlines
🎼 Understanding Consecutive Octaves and Fifths
Gareth introduces the concept of consecutives in music composition, specifically consecutive octaves and fifths, and explains why they are generally advised against in harmony writing. He distinguishes between acceptable uses of octaves for textural design, as seen in works by composers like Beethoven, and problematic consecutive octaves and fifths in four-part harmony. Gareth clarifies that perfect fifths are the main concern and demonstrates with a chord progression example, highlighting common areas where consecutives occur and suggesting simple adjustments to avoid them.
🔍 Identifying and Resolving Consecutives
Gareth explores strategies for identifying and resolving consecutive fifths and octaves in harmony writing. He suggests alternative note arrangements to solve identified problems and emphasizes the importance of contrary motion between parts to avoid consecutives. Additionally, Gareth explains how consecutive fifths and octaves can lead to other issues, like unbalanced chords, and provides tips for systematically checking and fixing these problems to improve the overall quality of the music composition.
🛠 Practical Tips for Avoiding Parallel Movement
In the final segment, Gareth provides a comprehensive overview of how to systematically identify and correct consecutive fifths and octaves across different parts of a composition. He stresses the value of checking each pair of parts methodically and discusses various solutions, including changing chords or their inversions and rearranging notes within chords. Gareth concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing parallel movement to enhance four-part harmony writing.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Consecutive fifths
💡Consecutive octaves
💡Contrary motion
💡Four-part harmony
💡Parallel motion
💡Melodic movement
💡Chord inversion
💡Harmonic progression
💡Common practice harmony
💡Parallel fifths/octaves
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Transcripts
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