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Different Motions in Music

There are four types of contrapuntal motion in music theory: contrary motion, similar motion, parallel motion, and oblique motion. Contrary motion involves voices moving in opposite directions, important for maintaining independence. Similar motion involves voices moving in the same direction but with a changing interval. Oblique motion has one voice staying the same as the other moves. Parallel motion keeps the same interval as voices move together.

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752 views1 page

Different Motions in Music

There are four types of contrapuntal motion in music theory: contrary motion, similar motion, parallel motion, and oblique motion. Contrary motion involves voices moving in opposite directions, important for maintaining independence. Similar motion involves voices moving in the same direction but with a changing interval. Oblique motion has one voice staying the same as the other moves. Parallel motion keeps the same interval as voices move together.

Uploaded by

Roche Victor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DIFFERENT MOTIONS IN MUSIC

In music theory, contrapuntal motion is the general movement of two melodic lines with respect to
each other. In traditional four-part harmony, it is important that lines maintain their independence, an
effect which can be achieved by the judicious use of the four types of contrapuntal motion: contrary
motion, similar motion, parallel motion, and oblique motion.
[1][2]

Contrary motion is motion in opposite directions. That is, when one of the lines moves up, the other
line moves down. If the voices always move by the same intervals (in opposite directions) they are
said to be in strict contrary motion.
The following example shows two voices in contrary motion Play (helpinfo):

Contrary motion is important to maintain independence of melodic movement in contrapuntal writing.
Similar motion is motion in the same direction, but with the interval between them changing. In other
words, both lines move up, or both lines move down, but the interval between them is different in the
first chord and the second chord. For example Play (help info):

Oblique motion is motion of one melodic line while the other remains at the same pitch. For example
Play (help info):

Similar and oblique motion provide less independence than contrary motion, but more than parallel
motion.
Parallel motion is motion in the same direction, keeping the same interval between them. For
example Play (help info):

Parallel motion at an interval of a perfect fifth is known as parallel or consecutive fifths, and at an
interval of an octave is known as parallel or consecutive octaves. These motions are generally avoided
in traditional counterpoint because they offer the lines so little independence from each other.

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