Core principles
Rules of good voice leading: (1) common tones stay in place, (2) other voices move to the nearest note of the next chord, (3) avoid parallel fifths and octaves.
- Minimal motion — smoothness
- Common tones — connection between chords
- Contrary motion — voice independence
Voice leading on guitar
On guitar, voice leading is constrained by fingerings. Key techniques: (1) use nearby chord positions, (2) change minimum fingers during chord changes, (3) use chord inversions.
Common tones
C and Am share two common tones (C and E). When changing C → Am, keep C and E in place and move only one voice: G → A. This creates minimal, elegant motion.