Four-part writing: Parallel Fifths

[chopinrabbitthing]

Hi, would these progressions be considered parallel fifths?

A - B
D# - E


A - G#
D# - C#


My music theory teacher has given me an assignment where he writes a four-part composition (E major, only in minims) and we have to find errors (e.g. parallel fifths) and correct them

To my knowledge, parallel fifths occur when two perfect fifths and beside each other. A and D# aren't considered a perfect fifth, are they?


I had an assignment where I had to write a four-part composition, and I did something similar to above, but it was marked as a parallel fifth.

Can someone clear the confusion?

Thanks

[brogers70]

My understanding was that parallel fifths also include parallel motion from a diminished fifth to a perfect fifth (but not from a perfect fifth to a diminished fifth). So yes, the progressions you mention would be considered parallel fifths.

[brogers70]

There are also "hidden" perfect fifths and octaves, which apply to the outer voices. If you have a soprano singing a high G and a bass singing a D, you cannot have them both move downward to a C. That is considered a "hidden" parallel octave. This comes from the practice of singers elaborating their written part, so that the soprano, to get down to the C might sing an appoggiatura (G-D-C) or just a descending scale from G to C. That would "reveal" the hidden parallel octave. The same thing applies for fifths. My understanding is that people only worry about these when they involve the outer voices.