Introduction to Counterpoint:

Introduction to Counterpoint


Lecture Notes:

  • Counterpoint is referred to as voicings.
  • Cantus firmus is a species of counterpoint that means fixed melody. The melody is made up of whole notes.
Image from:
https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/107570/what-is-considered-a-proper-cantus-firmus


  • Pen Ultimate is what happens before the last note. It acts as a magnetic force to resolve to the very last note.
  • Tendency Note - this is a note that must resolve. The Leading tone plays an important role in this. The 7th note of the scale needs to resolve to the tonic by raising it one-half step. 
Image from:
https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/100492/what-is-a-diatonic-tendency-tone



Conjunct and Disjunct
  • Conjunct are mostly in a stepwise motion. 
  • Disjunct are notes in a stepwise motion with alot of leaps and skips.
  • A skip is another motions of moving to a 3rd, and a leap is an interval of a 4th or more The shape of the melody is almost like a mountain or stairs.
Image from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melodic_motion


Consonant and Dissonant
  • Consonant sounds commonly pleasant. Octave, unison, thirds, sixths, and perfect fifths are considered consonants.
  • Dissonant sounds commonly unpleasant. Most dissonants have like a clash which would rely on resulting into something cleaner. Seconds, seventh, perfect fourths, and tritones are considered dissonants.
Image from:
https://www.harmony.org.uk/book/voice_leading/consonance_and_dissonance.htm






Here's a YouTube video from the YouTuber: "Music Matters". In this video, he teaches you how to write Counterpoint. He walks you through the different steps using the keyboard.




Here's a YouTube video from "Shawn Valcárcel". 
. In this video, he talks mainly about what is Conjunct and Disjunct motion and how they would sound in a song. He uses example from songs such as, Ode to Joy, Joy to the World, and Star Spangled Banner and shows where you would find the conjunct and disjunct motion in them. He demonstrates this by using a keyboard.





Above, is a video of me playing a Cantus Firmus that I composed in the key of C# Major which has 13 measures. Below is my written composition of the cantus firmus.


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