Hauptstimme

As Printed on a Score

Printed as a sign rather than a word: a capital H joined to a horizontal bracket that runs over the principal passage and ends in a small hook where it stops; scores that use it usually explain it in a footnote. Only the bracketed span is principal — when the H appears in another part, the lead has passed there. Berg and Webern use the same sign.

How Composers Use It

Schoenberg introduced the Hauptstimme symbol to clarify which voice carries the primary melody in complex polyphonic textures. It is essential in atonal music where traditional harmonic cues no longer guide the ear. Use it when multiple lines are equally active and you need to tell the performer (and conductor) which one should project.

Example

Schoenberg's "Pierrot lunaire" — Hauptstimme markings guide performers through the dense counterpoint, indicating which instrument should project at each moment.

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