Counterpoint
First Species Counterpoint, Rule by Rule
Species counterpoint isolates one compositional decision at a time. First species isolates the hardest one: how to make two voices sound like two voices.
Counterpoint
The writing of two or more independent melodic lines that sound together, linked by rules for consonance, dissonance and voice leading.
Also called: Contrapuntal writing, Contrapuntal technique
Counterpoint is the art of writing two or more independent melodic lines that sound together. Each line has its own shape and rhythm, and the relationship between lines follows rules for consonance, dissonance and voice leading. In first-species counterpoint, one note is set against each note of a given line, and every pair forms a consonance. Counterpoint is the basis of the polyphonic textures of the Renaissance and Baroque, and the fugues and chorales of J. S. Bach are its best-known demonstrations. Counterpoint and harmony are closely related: harmony describes the chords that the lines form, while counterpoint describes the lines themselves.
Related terms
- Species counterpointA graded method of learning counterpoint in five stages, from one note against one note to florid lines, as set out by Johann Joseph Fux.
- ImitationA technique in which a melody or motif is restated in another voice after a short delay, often at a different pitch, creating a dialogue between parts.
- PolyphonyA texture of two or more independent melodic lines of similar importance, each with its own rhythm and contour, as in fugue or motet.
- Cantus firmusA pre-existing melody, often plainchant or a chorale tune, used as the fixed line against which new voices are written in counterpoint.