Practical simplified four part (SATB) writing

Made by Nikolai Norevik Myklebust

Basics Intervals Movement between voices Problem solving

Voices - SATB: The four motions between two voices: Doublings and omissions:
● Soprano (S), Alto (A), Tenor (T), Bass (B) ● Doubling the root is the first choice
● Doubling the fifth is the second choice
Maximum distance between voices: ● Doubling the third is the third choice, avoid on
● An octave between S-A, and A-T
major and especially dominant chords
● Two octaves between T and B Perfect unisons, fifths and octaves. Avoid going to these Parallel: be careful with perfect intervals (octaves/fifth)
● Voicing should usually be wider (more distance) at Similar: usually fine, but check between outer voices (octaves/fifth)
● The fifth can be omitted
with parallel motion, always check these
the bottom if in low register, or else it gets muddy ● Try different doublings to try and solve problems

Rules of thumb: Octave displacement in the bass:

● SAT: each note moves to the closest note in the ● Try moving the bass notes up or down an
next chord. But jumps in the melody (S) sometimes Can handle any intervals
octave to see if that solves an unwanted parallel
necessitates jumps in A and T. If you do a leap, try between bass and other voice
to follow by doing a step ● Oblique/opposite motion is always fine no matter the
● The bass is free to jump around when needed Intervals: Thirds, sixths and tenths are safe. Can handle interval Passing notes, ornamentations or suspensions:
any movement. ● Imperfect consonances (and dissonances) are always Sometimes you can both solve voice leading
If on a V7 - I cadence: fine no matter the motion problems and creating life in your SATB by
● 7-1: The major 7th degree of the scale should embellishing with passing notes, ornaments or
usually lead to the 1st scale degree Parallel intervals and voice crossing: suspensions
● 4-3: the 4th degree of the scale should usually lead ● Avoid parallel octaves/unisons Make your bass line smoother and come alive
to the 3rd scale degree ○ Parallel fifths are usually ok, avoid if it’s easy to fix by some times using passing notes, and
● The two above are most important when they occur ○ Apparent/direct octaves and fifths (reached by a sometimes landing on first or second inversions
in the outer voices (S and B), but if you can also similar motion) should be avoided in the outer
Intervals: Seconds, fourths, tritones and sevenths are safe Inversion hack:
resolve them this way in the inner voices voices except when the soprano moves by step
as long as you resolve them to a consonance. You don’t ● 1st or 2nd inversion chords in closed position in
● Tritones dissolve to a third or a sixth by opposite ● Avoid voice crossing
have to resolve fourths if they are part of triads. the SAT voices are always safe (consists of a
motion if going to tonic
NB: In modern SATB writing you don’t have to harmonize third, a sixth and a fourth), just check that there
Try not to use the same interval between two voices more are no parallels between the bass and SAT
every note, the most important part is to harmonize the than three times in a row
heavy beats, e.g. 1 and 3 in 4/4, or 1 in 3/4 etc and where
the harmony/chord changes

Method for quickly harmonizing a melody with practical SATB

1. Find chords to match your melody 2. Fill in the bass voice 3. Fill in the middle voices

● Always use guided intuition, if it sounds good it probably is good ● Go heavy beat by heavy beat and fill in the bass roots ● Lastly, fill in the alto and tenor voice to fill in the missing chord notes on
● Establish where we are starting from and where we are going. Find the ● Remember to leave some room for the alto and tenor voices the heavy beats
key that your in and put down the first chord, often a tonic chord ● Check each move against the soprano and look out for ● Check each move against the soprano and the bass and look out for:
● Try to have a nice cadence at the end ○ parallel AND direct octaves or fifths ○ parallel octaves (and fifths)
● Then fill in the rest of the chords on the heavy beats (each note can be ○ doubling of the third ○ voice crossings
○ doubling of the third
a root, third or fifth of a triad, or the seventh of the dominant) ● Use octave displacement, 1st/2nd inversion roots, passing tones and
○ no more than one leap in a row
ornamentations to solve problems ● Try different chord tones, passing tones, ornamentations or
suspensions, to solve problems