Consecutive fifths

Consecutive fifths create parallel melodic lines, melodies that are duplicates of each other, transposed. Play
Situations other than consecutive fifths create contrasting melodic lines, melodies that are different from each other. Play
Consecutive fifths by contrary motion are generally avoided, meaning parallels may not be corrected by moving one part up or down an octave.[1] Play
Hidden [consecutive] fifths: E
C
to D
G
.[2] Play hidden & Play exposed

In music, consecutive fifths or parallel fifths are progressions in which the interval of a perfect fifth is followed by a different perfect fifth between the same two musical parts (or voices): for example, from C to D in one part along with G to A in a higher part. Octave displacement is irrelevant to this aspect of musical grammar; for example, a parallel twelfth (i.e., an octave plus a fifth) is equivalent to a parallel fifth.[nb 1]

Parallel fifths are used in, and are evocative of, many musical genres, such as various kinds of Western folk and medieval music, as well as popular genres like rock music. However, parallel motion in perfect consonances (P1, P5, P8) is strictly forbidden in species counterpoint instruction (1725–present),[2] and during the common practice period, consecutive fifths were strongly discouraged. This was primarily due to the notion of voice leading in tonal music, in which "one of the basic goals ... is to maintain the relative independence of the individual parts."[3]

A common theory[citation needed] is that the presence of the 3rd harmonic of the harmonic series influenced the creation of the prohibition.[clarification needed]

  1. ^ Kostka & Payne (1995). Tonal Harmony, p.85. Third Edition. ISBN 0-07-300056-6.
  2. ^ a b Benward & Saker (2003). Music in Theory and Practice, Vol. I, p.155. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.
  3. ^ Kostka & Payne (1995), p.84.


Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).