Topmusicanswers
- Can you omit the fifth?
- When should I omit the fifth?
- What is a consecutive 5th?
- What is a direct 5th or octave?
Can you omit the fifth?
Omitting the Fifth
It does not contribute to the sense of major or minor, nor does it add any interest (tension, dissonance or sense of forward movement) to the sound. Therefore it can typically be omitted quite safely without affecting the stability or tonality of the chord.
When should I omit the fifth?
Power or '5' chords omit the 3rd, blurring the lines between major and minor. In extended chords (7th, 9th, 11th and 13th) the 5th is usually omitted – partly to keep these chords from sounding too harmonically 'dense'. The 5th is a very strong-sounding interval, lending itself more to rock than jazzy extended chords.
What is a consecutive 5th?
Consecutive 5ths often sneak in when there are two root position (5-3) chords next to each other. ... In the second chord, they are also a perfect fifth apart. When there are perfect 5ths in the same two parts one after the other, we call them “consecutive 5ths”.
What is a direct 5th or octave?
So-called hidden consecutives, also called direct or covered octaves or fifths, occur when two independent parts approach a single perfect fifth or octave by similar motion instead of oblique or contrary motion. A single fifth or octave approached this way is sometimes called an exposed fifth or exposed octave.
