COUNTERPOINT

DEFINITION:

Counterpoint comes from Latin, specifically from the term punctum contra punctum which means note
against note. Musical counterpoint consists of the combination of two independent voices in both
rhythm and harmony but that are unified simultaneously to give a different sound effect, that is, several
independent melodies are combined and they sound very harmonious when executed simultaneously.

HISTORY:

Counterpoint is part of the tradition of music in the Western world since the Middle Ages, it began to
develop more clearly during the Renaissance and continued its rise during the baroque, classicist and
romantic periods and is attributed its golden age at the end of the baroque with the compositions of
Johann Sebastian Bach.

COUNTERPOINT PERIODS:

*GOTHIC PERIOD AND POLYPHONY:

In the 9th century, primitive polyphony emerged, which consisted of adding voices to Gregorian chant.
The beginning of polyphony led to the establishment of a proportional notation system (Tract of Franco
of Cologne, Ars Cantus Mensurabilis) that was subject to variations over the centuries. He will create the
current system of music theory. With the Florentine camerata (15th century) it reached its peak with
Claudio Monteverdi (16th century) and ended with the death of Johamm S Bach (1685-1750).

HARMONICA: What prevails is the vertical reading, it consolidates the bases of diatonic harmony (17th-
18th century) prominent composers (Haydn – Mozart – Bethoven) the tonal system as the axis of
compositional praxis. covering up to the romantic school (19th century) approximately until 1910.

DISSOLUTION OF TONALITY: It includes almost the entire 20th century to the present, giving rise to a
great variety of exploratory currents to unsuspected limits, giving rise to the atonal system or atonalism.

USEFULNESS OF THE COUNTERPOINT:

It is giving melodic interest to each of the voices by moving them as naturally as possible, which is not
only useful for practicing the fugal genre, but also the loose genre when it comes especially to concert
pieces, vocal or instrumental, secular or religious.
TESITURE OF THE VOICES:

COUNTERPOINT CLASSES:

1st SIMPLE COUNTERPOINT (technique proposed by Joseph Fux 1725 ): Based on the palestrina
style, it is the study of counterpoint through species of increasing complexity, rigorous or strict, it
has less freedom than the other counterpoints, Fux proposes 5 types:

 FIRST SPECIES: Completely avoids dissonance, forces concentration on contour relationships.

 SECOND SPECIES: Introduces the problem of maintaining the balance of the 3 simplest forms of
linear development between 2 harmonies, static elaboration (moving to neighboring notes),
gradual development (uses passing notes) and the most drastic movement by jumping.

 THIRD SPECIES: Introduces other resources for linear treatment between harmonies. The
succession of 2 passing notes, combination of passing notes, embroidery,cambiota, double
embroidery and arpeggia; This technique is typical of ancient tradition.

 FOURTH SPECIES: It concentrates on the delays, these allow us to find out-of-phase melodies
and harmonies in the strong type of the beat.

 FIFTH SPECIES: Culmination of the previous ones, it allows a first approach to rhythmic
flexibility, more elaborate resources such as ornamental resolutions to delay, the control of
rhythmic impulse is worked on (without motives) and mixed species exercises are also
 proposed, it constitutes an introduction to textures stratified and encourages the exploration
of simultaneous dissonances, maintaining a clear harmonic context.

2. IMITATIVE COUNTERPOINT: Imitation is one of the constructive principles of musical composition

which consists of reproducing by one or more voices an entire or partial phrase, previously proposed by
a voice or instruments, this counterpoint has the same techniques as simple counterpoint. The most
important procedures being the part that exposes the antecedent and the other part that imitates the
consequent:

 NATURAL AND PROGRESSIVE IMITATION: The consequent imitates the antecedent from left to
right without other mutations.

 IMITATION BY DIRECT MOVEMENT: The melodic intervals of the consequently they

preserve the same direction of the antecedent, imitations are given to the 8th, 4th and 5th.

 IMITATION BY CONTRARY MOVEMENT: The melodic intervals of the antecedent are

reproduced by the consequent in the opposite direction.

 RETROGRADE IMITATION (crab – or mirror): The consequent imitates the antecedent, but from
right to left.

 IMITATION BY AUGMENTATION: The consequent presents intervals greater than the

antecedent.

 IMITATION BY DECREASE: The consequent presents values proportionally smaller than the
antecedent, there are other imitations setback and interrupted.

3. INVERTIBLE COUNTERPOINT: It is one where the upper and lower voice can change places, without
breaking the rules of the counterpoint, this counterpoint requests a harmonious approach
very particular giving relevance to the theory of chord inversion using basic chords with their
inversions.

4. DODECAPHONE TECHNIQUE: It is based on the chromatic series, it is usually written arrhythmically,

applying imitative counterpoint techniques in all its classifications, the rhythm of the melody must be as
varied as possible, avoiding the repetition of designs, its harmony is totally dissonant, The technique to
be developed is serial fractionation where the melodic figuration of the series is always the 12 sounds
obtaining variants from other series.
SUMMARY OF THE BOOK PART ONE:

FIRST SPECIES NOTE AGAINST NOTE:

This counterpoint is formed by one voice that makes the cantus firmus and the other is contrasted by figures of
equal value to those of the former. It presents two different things:

 1st case: C. F at the bottom.

 2nd case: CF at the top .

In the first case the counterpoint must begin with the perfect consonances of 5° and 8° or unism and
end in 8°, the penultimate measure must always be in a major order even when dealing with old minor
modes and always assuming that the cf ended with the second degree that goes down to the tonic. As
for the harmony to be used for two voices, it must be such that the chosen intervals are possible, the
correct meaning of the chord corresponding to each degree is only allowed up to three successive thirds
or baskets of the same note. must be repeated more than once consecutively.
5th and 8th consecutively and directly:

Consecutive 5ths and 8ths are strictly prohibited even when they proceed by opposite movement. As
regards direct fifths and octaves, we will adhere to what is stated in the general rules. This type of fifths
and octaves are preferably used in the opposite movement.

Voices: The best way to combine voices either by their character or extension is the following: soprano
and alto, alto and tenor, tenor and bass or soprano and tenor, against alto and bass.
Reciprocal separation of the voices: the normal separation that the voices can reach from each other is
the one that corresponds to the interval of 12° (compound 5th) but for various reasons this limit is
frequently extended to 15° (double octave).
During the composition, only consonances should be used and preference should be given to the
imperfect ones (3rd and 6th).

The usino should not be avoided Because it interrupts the polyphony in terms of perfect consonances,
fifths and octaves will be used only in special cases or when a good melodic movement demands it, since
these intervals give a harmonic sensation in complete the 8th is more empty than the 5th but used over
the tonic to the dominant is generally quite good.

on the third degree it can also be used by joint degrees and contrary movement when a good melodic
line justifies it; the same can be decided with regard to the second and sixth degree, the latter in the
major mode.