similar motion

Melodic motion is the quality of movement of a melody, including nearness or farness of successive pitches or notes in a melody. This may be described as conjunct or disjunct, stepwise, skipwise or no movement, respectively. See also contrapuntal motion.

In traditional four-part harmony, it is important that lines maintain their independence, an effect which can be achieved by the judicious use of the four types of contrapuntal motion: parallel motion, similar motion, contrary motion, and oblique motion.

Similar motion occurs when two voices move in the same direction but at different interval. Contrary motion occurs when two voices move in different directions.

In similar motion, also called direct motion, two voices move in the same direction, but by different intervals. For example, the following two voices both move down, but the upper voice moves by step while the lower voice moves by leap.

Similar motion occurs when two voices move in the same direction but at different interval. Contrary motion occurs when two voices move in different directions.

continually changing position Motion is the activity or process of continually changing position or moving from one place to another.

Similar motion occurs when two voices move in the same direction but at different interval. Contrary motion occurs when two voices move in different directions.

Oblique motion occurs when one voice stays the same and the other voice moves up or down by step or leap. Parallel motion is a specific type of similar motion and occurs when both voices move in the same direction by the same interval - both up by step, or both down by a third.

Types of Motion

1. Linear Motion. In linear motion, the object moves from one position to another in either a curved direction or a straight line.
2. Rotary Motion. Rotary motion is a sort of motion in which the object moves in a circle.
3. Oscillatory Motion.
4. Periodic Motion.

If a person is moving, they will almost always be using movement, not motion. If moving is deliberate, it is movement. Movement is also used when the important factor is going from one place to another, whereas motion is used to describe something not being still.

Similar motion in piano means that your hands are moving in the same direction, but they may be moving by different intervals (i.e. a third in the right hand and a fifth in the left). Parallel motion means that your hands are moving in the same direction, and by the same interval (i.e. a half step in each hand).

The title Music in Similar Motion describes exactly what happens in the piece: musical lines always move in the same melodic direction although not always in parallel intervals. The melodies are constructed as cells that are repeated ad lib until one of the musicians gives a small cue to move onto the next cell.