# Chords and voice leading

A major chord is already present inside a single note: harmonics 4, 5 and 6 of a low C are C, E and G. When one chord follows another, musicians usually prefer that each voice moves as little as possible to its next note. This is called voice leading. In 1739 Leonhard Euler drew a map of notes, later called the Tonnetz, where chords that share two notes sit next to each other. On this map, smooth progressions are short walks.

Connects to:
- [Modes, major and minor](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_modes)
- [The harmonic series](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_harmonics)
- [Roughness and consonance](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_roughness)
- [Andean siku](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_andes)

Sources:
- [Wikipedia: Harmonic series (music)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(music))
- [What is music? Module 7, harmony and voice leading and Lab 7b](https://sofiagallego.com/what-is-music/)

Source: https://mapideas.org/i/mu_chords · open on the map: https://mapideas.org/#mu_chords