definition-purpose · huron2001-tone-and-voice

Traditionally, the so-called “rules of harmony” are divided into two broad groups: (1) the rules of harmonic progression and (2) the rules of voice-leading. The first group of rules pertains to the choice of chords, including the overall harmonic plan of a work, the placement and formation of cadences, and the moment-to-moment succession of individual chords. The second group of rules pertains to the manner in which individual parts or voices move from tone to tone in successive sonorities. The term “voice-leading” originates from the German Stimmführung, and refers to the direction of movement for tones within a single part or voice. A number of theorists have suggested that the principal purpose of voice-leading is to create perceptually independent musical lines.