Brainlag Music Theory

Writing in four parts

Music theory, Chords, figures and four parts, 15 minutes

Soprano, alto, tenor and bass on two staves, keyboard style, and the range of each voice.

Four voices

At Grade 6 every chord is written with four notes, as if for four singers: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. A triad has only three notes, so one of them is doubled: it appears in two voices. Usually double the root.

The whole choir in four sections: sopranos front left, altos front right, tenors back left, basses back right, all singing. Claire, with the altos, is a mezzo-soprano; Owen, with the basses, is a baritone. — Our choir: sopranos and altos at the front, tenors and basses behind. Each section sings one line of the four.

Four chords for four voices

Soprano and alto share the treble stave; tenor and bass share the bass stave.
Each voice has its own stems: soprano and tenor up, alto and bass down. That way you can follow each line.

Why four separate lines? Because each one should be singable on its own. Most part-writing rules are about keeping four independent, comfortable lines.

The rest of this lesson and its 6 practice questions are in Brainlag Music Theory.

Screen 1 of 5, free to read.

6 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards

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