Direct fifths (hidden fifths)
A Direct Fifth can often be one of the more confusing errors to find, but if you just set your mind to remembering all of the qualifications of a direct fifth, it can actually be one of the easier errors to find. (Side note: A Hidden Fifth is the same thing as a Direct Fifth)
Qualifications of a Direct Fifth:
1. Probably the most important one to note. THE SOPRANO MUST LEAP FOR IT TO BE A DIRECT FIFTH! This means that the top note of the chord must move more than one step in any direction. (For example C to D is a single step, so automatically not a direct fifth. C to E is more than a step, it is a leap, therefore it could potentially be a direct fifth.) This may be the most important detail to note because it will save you the most time while you are trying to find Direct Fifths. Save yourself the time and only check the chords where the soprano leaps, the soprano usually only leaps a few times in an excerpt. This is much easier than checking literally every single chord.
2. The second thing to check, THE TWO NOTES MUST MOVE IN THE SAME DIRECTION! For it to be a Direct Fifth, the chord must move in similar motion. It is not a Direct Fifth if the chord moves in contrary or oblique motion. Only so many chords move in the same direction so this is also a time-saver when checking for errors.
3. IT HAS TO BE A FIFTH! At the risk of sounding too obvious, a Direct Fifth is when the chord moves into a fifth, hence it being a Direct FIFTH. So as a final step, check the chord for the interval of a fifth. But lucky for you, because this is a Direct Fifth you only have to check one interval per chord: the interval between the bass and the soprano. Which is another thing to always be aware of, DIRECT FIFTHS ARE ONLY BETWEEN THE SOPRANO AND BASS! Just simply go through all of these steps and finding those Direct Fifths won't be so troublesome.
1. Probably the most important one to note. THE SOPRANO MUST LEAP FOR IT TO BE A DIRECT FIFTH! This means that the top note of the chord must move more than one step in any direction. (For example C to D is a single step, so automatically not a direct fifth. C to E is more than a step, it is a leap, therefore it could potentially be a direct fifth.) This may be the most important detail to note because it will save you the most time while you are trying to find Direct Fifths. Save yourself the time and only check the chords where the soprano leaps, the soprano usually only leaps a few times in an excerpt. This is much easier than checking literally every single chord.
2. The second thing to check, THE TWO NOTES MUST MOVE IN THE SAME DIRECTION! For it to be a Direct Fifth, the chord must move in similar motion. It is not a Direct Fifth if the chord moves in contrary or oblique motion. Only so many chords move in the same direction so this is also a time-saver when checking for errors.
3. IT HAS TO BE A FIFTH! At the risk of sounding too obvious, a Direct Fifth is when the chord moves into a fifth, hence it being a Direct FIFTH. So as a final step, check the chord for the interval of a fifth. But lucky for you, because this is a Direct Fifth you only have to check one interval per chord: the interval between the bass and the soprano. Which is another thing to always be aware of, DIRECT FIFTHS ARE ONLY BETWEEN THE SOPRANO AND BASS! Just simply go through all of these steps and finding those Direct Fifths won't be so troublesome.