Which action is described as creating smoother voice leading?

Which action is described as creating smoother voice leading?

• A. Extending each chord by adding extra tones
• B. Keeping all chords in root position
• C. Applying inversion to some chords
• D. Randomizing the order of chords

Answer: (C)

In harmony, smooth voice leading comes from moving each individual line by small, stepwise intervals and keeping common tones between chords. Using inversions of some chords helps achieve that by shifting which note is in the bass. When a chord is inverted, other voices can move to the next chord with smaller distances, often preserving common tones in the same voices. This creates a more connected, singable flow from one harmony to the next. Extending each chord by adding extra tones thickens the texture but doesn’t inherently reduce the distance each voice travels, and can even introduce awkward leaps or awkward voice crossings. Keeping all chords in root position fixes the bass and can force larger moves for other voices, which breaks smoothness. Randomizing the order of chords eliminates the purposeful connections between chords, destroying any attempt at stepwise motion or shared tones.

In harmony, smooth voice leading comes from moving each individual line by small, stepwise intervals and keeping common tones between chords. Using inversions of some chords helps achieve that by shifting which note is in the bass. When a chord is inverted, other voices can move to the next chord with smaller distances, often preserving common tones in the same voices. This creates a more connected, singable flow from one harmony to the next.

Extending each chord by adding extra tones thickens the texture but doesn’t inherently reduce the distance each voice travels, and can even introduce awkward leaps or awkward voice crossings. Keeping all chords in root position fixes the bass and can force larger moves for other voices, which breaks smoothness. Randomizing the order of chords eliminates the purposeful connections between chords, destroying any attempt at stepwise motion or shared tones.