A Theory for Parsimonious Voice-Leading Classes

Resumo

This article introduces a theoretical-analytical model intended to address voice leading in popular music, considering specifically harmonic progressions characterized by dense chordal formations and smooth voicing connections, which is perfectly epitomized in Antonio Carlos Jobim's compositions. New concepts, typologies, preference rules, graphic representations, specific terminology/symbology, as well as an integrated analytical model provide the necessary foundation for the elaboration of a system of classes of parsimonious voice leading (PVL), which form the very core of the proposal. Some analytical application is provided in the last section of the article with the exam of five excerpts of Jobim’s compositions.