"Counterpoint"
The study of counterpoint is comparable to an artist's study of perspective. Compositions using counterpoint become an aggregate of parts rather than an entity conceived in depth. In simpler terms, counterpoint is the science of putting several parts of a piece together! Before we start our study on counterpoint, we need to go over a few things.
Consonance- a sounding of tones that produces a feeling of rest.
Dissonance- a sounding of tones creating a feeling of tension or unrest, feels like further resolution is needed.
Intervals- the distance between notes. (half step, whole step, several whole or half steps)
Cantus Firmus- the note you are working off of when choosing your other notes to put against it.
With all of those ideas in mind, you can draw the conclusion that when using counterpoint, you are starting with your first note, or cantus firmus, and putting your other notes against it to create a consonance or a dissonance. The notes you can choose are based on interval relations from the cantus firmus.
The intervals you can choose to create a consonance are the unisons (1st), octaves (8th), fifths (5th), major and minor thirds (3rd), and major or minor sixths (6th).
The intervals you can use to create a dissonance are seconds (2nd), sevenths (7th), ninths (9th), diminished, augmented, and it is debatable still, but fourths (4th). The reason it is not clear whether fourths create a dissonance is that a fourth creates a minor sound, and not all minor sounds are a dissonance.
Whatever you choose to do with your counterpoint, whether it be to create an elaborate congregate of parts that make a large chord, to create a large well orchestrated sound of many pieces, or to create multiple melodies layered on top of one another, you must keep in mind that your counterpoint notes must be in the same scale or mode as the cantus firmus!
There are three ways that notes can move in relation to one another. Direct motion is when the notes both move up together, or down together. Contrary motion is when the notes move away from eachother. They move apart. One note moves up and the other moves down. Oblique motion is when one note moves, while the other remains stationary! In the following example, the top line displays direct motion, the middle shows contrary, and the bottom shows oblique.
There are five species of counterpoint. The first one is Note Against Note. In this species, each note is of equal duration, such as a whole note to a whole notes, or halves to halves. This species can only consist of consonances.
The second species is Two Half-Notes Vs. One Whole Note. In this, the rule is that the first half note must be a consonant. The second note may be dissonant if and only if it moves away from the first half note stepwise! Dissonance may only occur by Dimunition, which is the shortening of note values in a theme (to alter the melody) without changing the original pitches. For Three Notes Against One, these same rules apply, So that would fall under this species of counterpoint as well! In this, the middle notes may be dissonant because all three notes move stepwise!
The third species is Four Quarters Vs.One Whole. The quarters are either ascending or descending. The first note must be consonant, while the second may be dissonant if you choose, the third must be consonant, and the fourth may be dissonant. The exception to the rule is that the third may be dissonant if the second and fourth are consonant.
The fourth species is the most difficult, and is called Ligature and Syncopation. Ligature is when you use longer duration tones and have them fall upon time units that are normally weak. Syncopation is the deliberate upsetting of a composition's normal accent, rhythm, or pulse of meter. You are creating delay effects essentially! Notes are held over to create retardations of the notes following.
The fifth species is merely a recapitulation and combination of all the proceeding species! It is called Florid Counterpoint.
Now to review, simply as possible, start with your cantus firmus (treat this line as the bass line even when it is not!). Choose the species of counterpoint that would best suit your needs for your piece, and place your notes in your other lines based on the species! The song and art of counterpoint may write itself! But no matter what, you will come up with a beautiful and elaborate and multi-dimensional piece, as counterpoint is the musician's equivalent to the artist's perspective!
Consonantly yours in music,
Mark R. McAnaney
Consonance- a sounding of tones that produces a feeling of rest.
Dissonance- a sounding of tones creating a feeling of tension or unrest, feels like further resolution is needed.
Intervals- the distance between notes. (half step, whole step, several whole or half steps)
Cantus Firmus- the note you are working off of when choosing your other notes to put against it.
With all of those ideas in mind, you can draw the conclusion that when using counterpoint, you are starting with your first note, or cantus firmus, and putting your other notes against it to create a consonance or a dissonance. The notes you can choose are based on interval relations from the cantus firmus.
The intervals you can choose to create a consonance are the unisons (1st), octaves (8th), fifths (5th), major and minor thirds (3rd), and major or minor sixths (6th).
The intervals you can use to create a dissonance are seconds (2nd), sevenths (7th), ninths (9th), diminished, augmented, and it is debatable still, but fourths (4th). The reason it is not clear whether fourths create a dissonance is that a fourth creates a minor sound, and not all minor sounds are a dissonance.
Whatever you choose to do with your counterpoint, whether it be to create an elaborate congregate of parts that make a large chord, to create a large well orchestrated sound of many pieces, or to create multiple melodies layered on top of one another, you must keep in mind that your counterpoint notes must be in the same scale or mode as the cantus firmus!
There are three ways that notes can move in relation to one another. Direct motion is when the notes both move up together, or down together. Contrary motion is when the notes move away from eachother. They move apart. One note moves up and the other moves down. Oblique motion is when one note moves, while the other remains stationary! In the following example, the top line displays direct motion, the middle shows contrary, and the bottom shows oblique.
There are five species of counterpoint. The first one is Note Against Note. In this species, each note is of equal duration, such as a whole note to a whole notes, or halves to halves. This species can only consist of consonances.
The second species is Two Half-Notes Vs. One Whole Note. In this, the rule is that the first half note must be a consonant. The second note may be dissonant if and only if it moves away from the first half note stepwise! Dissonance may only occur by Dimunition, which is the shortening of note values in a theme (to alter the melody) without changing the original pitches. For Three Notes Against One, these same rules apply, So that would fall under this species of counterpoint as well! In this, the middle notes may be dissonant because all three notes move stepwise!
The third species is Four Quarters Vs.One Whole. The quarters are either ascending or descending. The first note must be consonant, while the second may be dissonant if you choose, the third must be consonant, and the fourth may be dissonant. The exception to the rule is that the third may be dissonant if the second and fourth are consonant.
The fourth species is the most difficult, and is called Ligature and Syncopation. Ligature is when you use longer duration tones and have them fall upon time units that are normally weak. Syncopation is the deliberate upsetting of a composition's normal accent, rhythm, or pulse of meter. You are creating delay effects essentially! Notes are held over to create retardations of the notes following.
The fifth species is merely a recapitulation and combination of all the proceeding species! It is called Florid Counterpoint.
Now to review, simply as possible, start with your cantus firmus (treat this line as the bass line even when it is not!). Choose the species of counterpoint that would best suit your needs for your piece, and place your notes in your other lines based on the species! The song and art of counterpoint may write itself! But no matter what, you will come up with a beautiful and elaborate and multi-dimensional piece, as counterpoint is the musician's equivalent to the artist's perspective!
Consonantly yours in music,
Mark R. McAnaney
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