What is Parallel Motion?

Parallel motion is a musical technique in which two or more voices move in the same direction by the same interval. This means that if one voice moves up or down in pitch, the other moves by the same amount and in the same direction, keeping the interval between them constant.

For example, if two voices form a perfect fifth, and both move upward a whole step while maintaining that fifth, they are in parallel motion. Similarly, entire chords can move in parallel motion when each note in the chord shifts together by the same interval.

Parallel motion is commonly used in jazz, film music, impressionist music, and modern harmonizations to create smooth, cohesive, and often colorful harmonic textures. In traditional classical counterpoint, strict parallel fifths and octaves were usually avoided, but in modern music, parallel motion is embraced for its expressive and flowing sound.