9482 / 18210 · Workshop 78 — Upper-Structure Voice Leading in Motion: Keeping Rich Extensions Smooth Across Chords Instead of Treating Each Voicing as a Separate Shape← prev⊞ allnext →
78.16This is the real usefulness of alterations
An altered note is not just:
“more tension.”
It can solve a voice-leading problem.
E♭ on G7 may exist because:
E→E♭→D
is a beautiful line.
That is a far stronger reason than:
“G altered contains E♭.”