Oblique Motion
One voice holds while the other moves
Related
Oblique motion keeps one voice still while the other moves. It creates "an anchor plus a moving line": a pedal, a ground bass or a sustained note under a melody are common forms of oblique motion.
It differs from contrary and similar motion: only one part moves. The usual mistake is to think the still voice is lazy — holding a note is precisely how harmonic gravity is controlled; oblique motion makes the moving line easier to hear.
Read deeper → voice leading
Sources
- 斜向进行的定义与用法，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.