Compose your Music

Counterpoint

This course is designed to take your music to a higher level of complexity and evolution of the fabric in your compositions. Counterpoint has been the foundation of every piece of music for the last 500 years and still is, with this course, you will find why and how to apply it in your pieces.

Categories:

Course Instructor

giselapaterno giselapaterno Author

 Counterpoint. Introduction

Definition. Counterpoint Vs. Polyphony
Why should we study Counterpoint?
Musical Applications of Counterpoint

The beginning of Counterpoint 

Historical context. Monophonic Music the IX and X centuries and Notation
Tonal Materials. Ecclesiastical Modes
Mensural Notation
First Polyphony of the Ars Antiqua: Organum and Discantus

Modal Counterpoint. Renaissance period 

Historical and cultural context
XIV and XV Century principles of the Franco-Flemish School 
Melodic contour and rhythmic principles
The text above all – Word painting  

Species in Counterpoint

What are the Species in Counterpoint and why their study
Contrapuntal motions
Objectionable parallel motions
The independence of the melodic lines

1st Species: note against note

Compound intervals between voices
Beginnings and endings
Contrasting melodic lines and independence of the voices
Exercises in the first species

2nd Species: 2 voices against one

General Overview
Introduction of the dissonance: Rules and examples
Exercises

3rd Species: 3 voices against one

Main Concepts: Prolongation
Rules and examples
Exercises

4th Species: Suspension

Rules
Examples
Exercises
Ternary meter in 4th species
Exercises in ternary meter – 4th species

5th Species: Florid or “free” Counterpoint

General guidelines
Examples – Analysis
Invertible Counterpoint
Exercises

Imitation

The imitative discourse in Polyphony and its implications in the form: The canon 
Procedures applied in the imitation: Types of canon
Treatment of dissonance in the Baroque period
The motive and its musical implications within the style

Canon

What is a Canon?
Types of canon

Baroque period and Countrapuntal techniques

Historical context
Well-tempered Klavier and the new mensural system
General Principles

The Single Melodic Line

Voice Leading principles
Melodic Contour :”Archetypes”
Relative importance of the notes
Structural Vs. Ornamental
Balance and Symmetry: Analysis of a melody
Vertical (Harmony) Vs. Horizontal (Melody) concepts
The Compound Line and the implied Harmony

2-part Inventions

The structure. The motive
The introduction of harmonic progressions into the Counterpoint
Types of imitation and special devices
Form and structure
Examples and analysis of J. S. Bach pieces
Exercises

3-Voice Inventions or “Sinfonias”

Main concepts
Analysis and Examples from J. S. Bach
Exercises

Fugue 

The crystallisation of principles
Subject and answer
Exposition
Development
Re-exposition
Analysis and examples
Examples and “Fugato”
Analysis
Exercises

Free Counterpoint and  Imitation Forms

Examples in different styles
Counterpoint applied to the texture
Counterpoint in the Classical era
Counterpoint in the Romantic era
Counterpoint in the 20th Century
Bartok, Stravinsky and Hindemith 

This course is designed to take your music to a higher level of complexity and evolution of the fabric in your compositions. Counterpoint has been the foundation of every piece of music for the last 500 years and still is, with this course, you will find why and how to apply it in your pieces.

Categories:

Course Instructor

giselapaterno giselapaterno Author

 Counterpoint. Introduction

Definition. Counterpoint Vs. Polyphony
Why should we study Counterpoint?
Musical Applications of Counterpoint

The beginning of Counterpoint 

Historical context. Monophonic Music the IX and X centuries and Notation
Tonal Materials. Ecclesiastical Modes
Mensural Notation
First Polyphony of the Ars Antiqua: Organum and Discantus

Modal Counterpoint. Renaissance period 

Historical and cultural context
XIV and XV Century principles of the Franco-Flemish School 
Melodic contour and rhythmic principles
The text above all – Word painting  

Species in Counterpoint

What are the Species in Counterpoint and why their study
Contrapuntal motions
Objectionable parallel motions
The independence of the melodic lines

1st Species: note against note

Compound intervals between voices
Beginnings and endings
Contrasting melodic lines and independence of the voices
Exercises in the first species

2nd Species: 2 voices against one

General Overview
Introduction of the dissonance: Rules and examples
Exercises

3rd Species: 3 voices against one

Main Concepts: Prolongation
Rules and examples
Exercises

4th Species: Suspension

Rules
Examples
Exercises
Ternary meter in 4th species
Exercises in ternary meter – 4th species

5th Species: Florid or “free” Counterpoint

General guidelines
Examples – Analysis
Invertible Counterpoint
Exercises

Imitation

The imitative discourse in Polyphony and its implications in the form: The canon 
Procedures applied in the imitation: Types of canon
Treatment of dissonance in the Baroque period
The motive and its musical implications within the style

Canon

What is a Canon?
Types of canon

Baroque period and Countrapuntal techniques

Historical context
Well-tempered Klavier and the new mensural system
General Principles

The Single Melodic Line

Voice Leading principles
Melodic Contour :”Archetypes”
Relative importance of the notes
Structural Vs. Ornamental
Balance and Symmetry: Analysis of a melody
Vertical (Harmony) Vs. Horizontal (Melody) concepts
The Compound Line and the implied Harmony

2-part Inventions

The structure. The motive
The introduction of harmonic progressions into the Counterpoint
Types of imitation and special devices
Form and structure
Examples and analysis of J. S. Bach pieces
Exercises

3-Voice Inventions or “Sinfonias”

Main concepts
Analysis and Examples from J. S. Bach
Exercises

Fugue 

The crystallisation of principles
Subject and answer
Exposition
Development
Re-exposition
Analysis and examples
Examples and “Fugato”
Analysis
Exercises

Free Counterpoint and  Imitation Forms

Examples in different styles
Counterpoint applied to the texture
Counterpoint in the Classical era
Counterpoint in the Romantic era
Counterpoint in the 20th Century
Bartok, Stravinsky and Hindemith 

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