• Major Triads in Root Position and First Inversion (Second Inversion use is restricted - See below)
• Minor Triads in Root Position and First Inversion (Second Inversion use is restricted - See below)
• Diminished Triads in First Inversion only
• Augmented Triads are forbidden
• The only Seventh Chords allowed will be in First Inversion (See below)

• Use Double Analysis and Triple Analysis where appropriate
• If there is a choice of which voice to double, double the bass
• Matters of line are more important than the vertical (chordal) considerations (such as doubling)
• Avoid large amounts of parallel motion
• Avoid direct fifths and octaves in outer voices (except at cadences)
• Voice crossing is fine, but avoid voice overlaps
• Keep close spacing as much as possible (especially in the upper voices), and never allow the voice-span to exceed a twelfth

• Use B-flat (or E-flat in transposed modes) to avoid tritone (Never F-sharp)
• Use C-sharp, F-sharp, and G-sharp (and B-natural in transposed modes) to raise the leading tone
• Use F-sharp (B-natural in transposed modes) to avoid the augmented second between F and G-sharp (in fusas)
• Use F-sharp, C-sharp, and G-sharp to raise the third of the chord (for coloristic purposes and at cadences)
• The use of B-flat to avoid the tritone implies that the B-minor triad is never used.
• Raised Musica Ficta (C-sharp, F-sharp, and G-sharp) are never doubled, but B-flat can be doubled

• White-Note Rules
  • Dissonance is always handled by step
  • The only allowed dissonant white note values are minums
• White-Note Dissonances
  1. Suspensions
     • The dissonance must occur on a strong beat (1 or 3)
     • 7-6 (the other voice will usually be a 3)
     • 4-3 (the other voice will usually be a 5)
     • 9-8 (the other voice will usually be a 3)
     • 2-3(bass) (the other voice will usually be a 5 that becomes a 6 on resolution)
     • The other voice can be any consonant interval and can even move against the suspension, but never double the tone of resolution (or present the tone of resolution against the dissonance).
  2. Passing tones
     • The dissonance must occur on a weak beat (2 or 4)
     • Two passing tones presented at once must be consonant with each other (triple analysis).
  3. The 6/5 Chord (first inversion seventh chord)
     • The 5th above the bass in a "6/5 Chord" is treated like a suspension (because it is the seventh of the chord)
     • This means the 5 must be prepared on the beat before and the chord must occur on a strong beat
     • The chord is almost exclusively used as a "supertonic" chord resolving to a "dominant" and occurs mostly at cadences
  4. The "Consonant 4th"
     • The "consonant 4th" idiom is the only other use of the 6/5 chord
     • This idiom is the only case where a fourth above the bass is treated as though it were a consonance (by resolving the "seventh" of the 6/5 sonority)
     • The "consonant" 4 is always on a weak beat and is tied into a suspended 4 (4-3 suspension)
     • This implies that the bass cannot change. In fact, the bass must be a breve beginning on the 6/5 chord and sustaining until the resolution of the 4-3 suspension.
     • The third voice, then must be in minims (6-5)
     • Because the voice leading in this cannot deviate from these rules, see the example in the Idiomatic Cadences diagram for the specific voice-leading

• See 2-voice treatment of black-note dissonance for basic rules
• Passing tones in more than one voice must be consonant with one another (triple analysis)
• Simultaneously sounding black notes must be consonant with each other (triple analysis)

Important Reminders: