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Guidelines to 3 horn
writing
Teaching the unteachable:
- Keep in mind the 5 types of 3 horn
voicings (generally used): spread, triad, close, drop 2
and drop 3
- Inner parts may mimic the motion of
the melody (parallel motion).
- Choose harmony notes from the key
(mode) of the moment (matching the chord).
- Guide tones (3 and 7) are a good
starting point when establishing tonality at the
beginning of a bar, at a target or held note or after a
leap.
- Usually, the outer voices in a 3 horn
voicing will form a 6th or 7th.
- The selection of outer intervals such
as 4ths and 5ths (as opposed to 6ths or 7ths) depends on
the (lower) range of the melody.
- The inner parts (especially when
outlining a guide tone line) should move by step rather
than leap as much as possible creating a smooth melodic
line.
- A solid 3 horn voicing includes 3, 7,
along with 5 or 1 (or preferably, their subs 13 or 9)
- Fill in between key harmonic moments
(guide tones) with approach notes of various types
(diminished, dominant, chromatic or diatonic).* see the
approach note guidelines
- Use dissonance (1/2 steps or whole
steps) sparingly between the top 2 voices as part of a
moving line (oblique motion-from the dissonance into
consonance).
- Generally, try not to leap into or out
of a dissonance in the top 2 voices.
- Avoid unison or octaves (except for
dramatic effect): this results in the waste of at least
one voice.
- Unless writing a spread voicing, avoid
intervals wider than an octave between outer parts.
- Avoid voice crosses with the melody
(the listener will think it is the melody)
- Generally, the higher the melody, the
more spread the voicing can (should) be (for support).
- Generally, the lower the melody, the
more compact the voicing should be (in order to avoid low
interval limits with the implied bass note).
- One additional option is to disconnect
the lower 2 parts part from the melody and link it to the
rhythm section (as the lead line for rhythmic hits).
- Listen to the masters!