Counterpoint Study Guide

📖 Core Concepts Counterpoint – Simultaneous melodic lines that are rhythmically independent yet harmonically related. Voice independence – Each line should retain its own contour; loss of independence creates “special effects” that are generally avoided. Species Counterpoint – Pedagogical system of five progressive species (first → fifth) that teach increasingly complex voice‑leading rules. Imitative vs. Free Counterpoint – Imitative repeats a melodic idea in other voices (canon, fugue); free allows chromaticism, non‑traditional harmonies, and broader dissonance. Parallel motion restriction – Parallel perfect 5ths, octaves, and fourths are forbidden because they merge two voices into one timbre. --- 📌 Must Remember Final cadence: End on a perfect consonance (unison, 5th, octave) approached by step; raise the leading tone in minor when approached from below. Contrary motion dominates; perfect consonances must be approached by oblique or contrary motion. Melodic interval limits: No melodic tritone or seventh over three notes; no more than two skips in the same direction, second skip smaller than the first. Range: Adjacent voices should not exceed a tenth unless unavoidable. First Species: One note against one; start/end on perfect unison, 5th, or octave (unison/octave only if added voice is below). No parallel perfects, no hidden parallels. Second Species: Two notes against one; accented beats must be consonant; non‑accented beats may contain passing/neighbor/escape tones (dissonances) that resolve downward. Third Species: Four notes against one; allows nota cambiata, double neighbors, double passings (specific dissonance‑resolution patterns). Fourth Species: Suspensions – hold a note from the previous chord creating a beat‑on dissonance that resolves when the suspension releases. Fifth Species (Florid): Mix of all previous species; no single species dominates; ends with simple note‑against‑note texture. --- 🔄 Key Processes Writing First Species: Choose cantus firmus (fixed melody). Add a single note against each cantus note, respecting perfect consonance start/end and avoiding parallel perfects. Adding Passing Tones (Second Species): On the off‑beat, insert a stepwise passing tone between two consonant notes; ensure it resolves downwards. Creating a Suspension (Fourth Species): Prepare: consonance on the beat. Suspend: hold the previous note into the next beat, creating a dissonance. Resolve: move down by step to a consonance on the following beat. Combining Species (Fifth Species): Alternate note‑against‑note, two‑against‑one, four‑against‑one, and suspensions to craft a varied texture, always keeping the overarching rules (contrary motion, stepwise approach to cadences). --- 🔍 Key Comparisons Imitative vs. Free Counterpoint Imitative: Repeats a subject in other voices (canon, fugue); strict melodic similarity. Free: Allows chromaticism, non‑traditional harmonies; melodic lines need not echo each other. Parallel Motion vs. Contrary Motion Parallel: Same direction, same interval; prohibited for perfect 5ths, octaves, fourths. Contrary: Voices move opposite directions; preferred for maintaining independence. First Species vs. Fifth Species First: One‑note‑against‑one, uniform rhythm. Fifth: Mixes rhythmic textures from all species; more expressive, but must still obey underlying voice‑leading rules. --- ⚠️ Common Misunderstandings “All dissonances are bad.” – In species 2‑4, controlled dissonances (passing, neighbor, escape, suspensions) are required and must resolve properly. “Parallel thirds are always safe.” – Only up to three consecutive thirds are allowed; more creates a loss of independence. “A suspension can resolve up.” – By definition, a suspension resolves downward by step; upward resolution is an escape tone, not a suspension. “Any interval can be a climax.” – The climax should occur on a strong beat and be a consonance (usually a perfect or imperfect consonance). --- 🧠 Mental Models / Intuition “Independent rivers meeting at a lake.” – Picture each voice as a river flowing independently; the lake (harmony) forms only where they intersect, never merging into a single stream (parallel perfects). “Step‑wise staircases for cadences.” – Treat the final approach to the tonic as a small staircase: each step is a diatonic move, never a leap, ensuring a smooth landing on a perfect consonance. “Suspension as a delayed handshake.” – The suspended note holds the previous chord’s “hand” into the next beat, then lets go (resolves) to complete the new chord. --- 🚩 Exceptions & Edge Cases Minor mode leading tone: Raise the seventh degree only when it approaches the tonic from below; otherwise, keep natural minor. Ascending minor sixth: Allowed only if followed immediately by downward motion (prevents melodic expansion). Interval > tenth: Permitted only when voice crossing is absolutely necessary for melodic shape. --- 📍 When to Use Which First Species – Best for practicing pure consonance and perfect interval handling; start here when learning voice independence. Second Species – Introduce rhythmic variety and controlled dissonance; use when comfortable with first species’ consonant framework. Third Species – Apply when you need rapid melodic motion (four‑against‑one) and want to practice nota cambiata and double tones. Fourth Species – Use to create expressive tension–release; ideal for cadential preparation. Fifth Species – Employ for composition or exam pieces that demand stylistic variety; blend earlier species while maintaining overall voice‑leading integrity. --- 👀 Patterns to Recognize Repeated interval pattern → hidden parallel (e.g., successive thirds moving in the same direction may hide a parallel fifth). Dissonance on an off‑beat → likely a passing/neighbor/escape tone; check for proper resolution. Sustained note over a changing lower voice → suspension; ensure stepwise resolution downwards. Melodic climax on a strong beat – look for a high point near the middle of the line. --- 🗂️ Exam Traps Choosing a unison in the middle of a first‑species exercise – only allowed at the opening or closing, not internally. Assuming any parallel motion is forbidden – only perfect fifths, octaves, and fourths are prohibited; parallel thirds and sixths are permitted up to three consecutively. Using a descending minor sixth without subsequent downward motion – violates the rule that an ascending minor sixth must be followed by a descent. Writing a suspension that resolves upward – will be marked wrong; upward resolution is an escape tone, not a true suspension. Over‑extending voice range beyond a tenth – may be penalized unless the outline explicitly justifies the exception. ---