Contrary Motion
Two voices moving in opposite directions — the clearest independence
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Contrary motion has two voices moving in opposite directions: one rises while the other falls. It is the clearest way to hear independent parts, and a common way to avoid parallel fifths and octaves.
It differs from oblique motion: oblique keeps one voice still while the other moves; contrary moves both. The usual mistake is to think contrary motion is always good — it can also cause voice crossing or an unbalanced range; its value is separating two lines, not a universal rule.
Read deeper → voice leading
Sources
- 声部进行方向与独立性的关系，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Voice leading"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.