In fifth-species counterpoint,
we combine the tricks developed in species 1–4 with only a few additions
. As such, the fifth-species starts to resemble real music in a way that none of the previous species did and the challenge is to balance not only types of consonance, but also types of counterpoint.
What are the 5 species of counterpoint?
- First species.
- Second species.
- Third species.
- Fourth species.
- Fifth species.
What does species counterpoint mean?
1 :
a traditional method of instruction in 16th-century counterpoint based on five increasingly demanding types of two-voice contrapuntal writing based on a preexisting cantus firmus
The discipline of species counterpoint was first put forth by Johann Joseph Fux in Gradus ad Parnassum (1725) as a tool for teaching …
What is a first species counterpoint?
In first species counterpoint, each note in every added part (parts being also referred to as lines or voices)
sounds against one note in the cantus firmus
. Notes in all parts are sounded simultaneously, and move against each other simultaneously.
What is second species counterpoint?
30.3 Second Species Counterpoint
In second species,
one writes two half notes against a cantus firmus in whole notes
. … Begin your counterpoint with a half note at the octave or unison on either the first or third beat of the measure; if starting on the third beat, put a half rest at the beginning of the measure.
What is a nota Cambiata?
Nota cambiata [
changing note
] (It.: ‘changed note’; Fr. note de rechange; Ger. Wechselnote)
Who invented counterpoint?
Invented in the early 18th century by
Johann Joseph Fux
, species counterpoint was one of the two pillars of music composition training in the Northern European tradition (the other being the discipline of thoroughbass).
What are the two most common types of counterpoint?
The first species is note-against-note counterpoint. The second species is two notes against one in
the cantus firmus
. The third species is four notes against one in the cantus firmus.
What are the rules of counterpoint?
- The interval between the given note and the note in your counter-melody should be consonant (major/minor 3rd or 6th, perfect unison, 5th, or octave, or a compound form).
- If the counter-melody is above the given melody, then the last note of the counter-melody should be in the tonic chord.
How do you end a first species counterpoint?
Ending a first-species counterpoint
If
the cantus ends re–do
, the counterpoint’s final two pitches should be ti–do. If the cantus ends ti–do, the counterpoint’s final two pitches should be re–do. Thus the penultimate bar will either be a minor third or a major sixth between the two lines.
What’s the difference between counterpoint and polyphony?
The word counterpoint is frequently used
interchangeably with polyphony
. This is not properly correct, since polyphony refers generally to music consisting of two or more distinct melodic lines while counterpoint refers to the compositional technique involved in the handling of these melodic lines.
What is the difference between counterpoint and contrapuntal?
When
there is more than one independent melodic line happening at the same time in a
piece of music, we say that the music is contrapuntal. The independent melodic lines are called counterpoint. … If there is one melodic line accompanied only by rhythm, or drones, or only by chords, there is no counterpoint.
Is counterpoint still used?
It is still used
, but not the way Bach used it. Bach used to compose the different voices to be harmonically interdependent but rhythmically independent. After a certain point (later 19th-early 20th century) the composers took counterpoint in a different direction.
What is the difference between first and second species counterpoint?
Strong beats
(downbeats) in second species are always consonant. … Because motion across bar lines (from weak beat to strong beat) involves the same kind of voice motion as first species (two voices moving simultaneously), follow the same principles as first species counterpoint.
Can you repeat notes in second species counterpoint?
b. Try to not have unisons on downbeats. 6) Avoid Oblique motion in your counterpoint.
Repeated notes are not allowed.
What is a perfect consonance?
The perfect fifth and the perfect octave
are considered perfect consonances. The unison is a consonance insofar as it can be considered an interval at all (many say it cannot). The major second, third and sixth, as well as the minor third, sixth and seventh are considered to be imperfect consonances.
