Music Composition DUMmIES

Another idea might be for one voice to move and the other to stay a little

more stationary. This is known as block harmony. In Figure 16-2, we are still

using the same rhythmic phrases for both voices. (We will break free from

this later.)

You could also choose to harmonize the second voice by moving it obliquely,

or in a contrary direction (Figure 16-3).

&

&

b

b

b

bbb

4

4

4

4

1

Ó ‰

j

œœ

œ

Ó ‰Jœœœ

2

œ.œœœ œ. œn œœ

œ.œn œœ œ. œœœ

3

œ.

J

œœ.

J

œ

œ.J

œn œ.

J

œ

4

œ.

J

œ# œ.

J

œ

œ.

J

œ œ.

J

œn

5

̇

Ó

̇Ó

Vo ice 1

Vo ice 2

Figure 16-3:
Tw o
harmonic
lines can
also move
in totally
different
directions.

&

&

b

b

b

bbb

4

4

4

4

1

Ó ‰

j

œœ

œ

Ó ‰ j

œœ

œ

2

œ.œœœœ.

œn

œœ

œ.œœœœ. œœœ

3

œ.

J

œ œ.Jœ

œ.

j

œ œ.

j

œ

4

œ.

J

œ# œ.

J

œ

œ.

j

œœ.

j

œ

5

̇

Ó

̇ Ó

Vo ice 1

Vo ice 2

Figure 16-2:
In block
harmony,
one voice
moves
around
among the
notes more
than the
other.

&

&

bbb

bbb

4

4

4

4

1

Ó ‰œjœ

œ

Ó ‰ j

œœ

œ

2

œ.œœœœ. œn œœ

œ.œœœœ. œœœ

3

œ.

J

œ œ.Jœ

œ.

J

œn œ.Jœ

4

œ.

J

œ# œ.

J

œ

œ.

J

œœ.

J

œ

̇^5

Ó

̇ Ó

Melody

voice 1

Melody

voice 2

Figure 16-1:
Parallel
harmony
lines don’t
have to be
always
perfectly
parallel.

Chapter 16: Composing for Multiple Voices 199