BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
92 / 18210 · Module 4 — Triads, Inversions, and Voice Leading← prev⊞ allnext →

4.6Think of each chord note as a singer

Imagine three singers.

For C:

  • voice 1 sings C
  • voice 2 sings E
  • voice 3 sings G

Then the chord changes to Am.

Instead of making all three singers jump somewhere new, ask:

Can any voice stay on the same note?

C major:

C E G

C E G

A minor:

A C E

A C E

They share:

C and E

So two voices can stay still.

Only:

G → A

G → A

needs to move.

That is excellent voice leading.