WORK YOUR PLAN
Standard hymns and many preludes and fugues consist of four parts that might be labeled, from highest to lowest: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. These should first be broken down vertically as explained earlier.
Easier four-part pieces may also be broken down horizontally by using the seven-step method rather than the longer fifteen-step method (to be described on the next screen). Since the three upper parts are distributed between two hands, the right (or sometimes the left) hand will play two parts.
When using the seven-step method to learn four-part contrapuntal textures, be certain that the independence of each part is observed strictly, especially in the hand that plays two parts. This is sometimes too difficult to accomplish, in which case you should revert to practicing individual voice parts (as will be explained next).
