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27.2: Voice Leading Successive Seventh Chords

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    27.2 Voice Leading Successive Seventh Chords

    Sometimes you will encounter a situation where there are successive seventh chords. This is especially the case in circle of fifth progressions. When voice leading a circle of fifths progression with root position seventh chords in four parts (SATB), alternate between incomplete seventh chords (without the fifth of the chord) and complete seventh chords, as can be seen in the example below from Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Violins and Cello in D minor, RV 565.

    voiceleading-7ths-vivaldi-A.svg

    voiceleading-7ths-vivaldi-B.svg

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    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Vivaldi, Concerto for Two Violins and Cello in D minor, RV 565, V.
    Principle 27.2.2. Voice Leading Successive Root Position 7th chords.

    Alternate between complete and incomplete voicings.

    If, on the other hand, you are asked to voice lead a circle of fifths progression involving inverted seventh chords, always resolve the seventh of each chord down by step and move the other voices smoothly. You will see the following pattern: two voices will remain on common tones (shown with ties) while the other two voices resolve downward by step.

    voiceleading-7ths-circle-65-42.svg

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    Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Circle of fifths progression with inverted 7th chords (alternating 56and 24)

    voiceleading-7ths-circle-43-7.svg

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    Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): Circle of fifths progression with alternating 7 and 34 chords

    This page titled 27.2: Voice Leading Successive Seventh Chords is shared under a GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Robert Hutchinson via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.