Contrary motion:
This motion is a strongly desired method of moving from chord to chord. When you are moving chords in contrary motion, you are moving the upper voices in the opposite direction of the bass line.
As
you can see in this example, the bass voice is moving down while the
others voices are moving in the opposite direction. This is a preferred
motion between chords during common practice times.
Oblique motion:
Contrary
motion and oblique motion are closely related. Think of oblique motion
as contrary motion with a common tone if possible.
In
this example the tenor and alto voices are moving contrary to the bass,
but the soprano line remains on the common tone of G. That is the
essence of oblique motion. This motion is also desired in common
practice writing.
Similar motion:
Now we are getting to the chord
motions that are less desirable because the often lead to spacing or
other issues which we will spend a little bit of time on in a future
class. In similar motion, the voices are all moving in the same
direction as the bass, but avoid moving at the same interval.
You
see that all the voices in similar motion are moving in the same
direction. The important part of similar motion is that the voices move
at different intervals from the bass. The motion in the bass is a 2nd
while the motion in the tenor is a 5th, the alto is a 4th, the soprano
is a 4th. This motion is not particularly desirable in the common
practice but it is generally preferred to...
Parallel motion:
In
parallel motion (as in similar motion) the voices move in the same
direction as the bass. However, in parallel motion, you have instances
where voices move at the same interval of the bass. This is a sound we often embrace in more modern music, but during common practice it was avoided.
In
this example all of the voices are moving in the same direction and
with the same interval (descending 4th). This sound is the least
desirable of all the common practice chord motions.
**Check
out your chord motion in your 4-part texture. Try to identify the type
of motion you employ between chords. Where possible see if you can move
it up the motion food chain toward contrary or oblique motion.
You
may even notice places where you have elements of different motion
combined. Similar motion with a common(oblique) tone or parallel motion
combined with contrary motion. In those instances, you want to try to
eliminate the less desirable motion while maintaining the more preferred
elements.
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