*In which we explore \"Music as a Conversation\" through the study of counterpoint.* This model of music prioritizes the **individuality** and **independence** of each line. Music composed in this way often reminds us of a little society, where everybody gets to have their say, while also working together. Writing counterpoint can feel like solving a puzzle -- there is a lot of counting, labeling, and problem solving. At first the rules can feel arbitrary, or old-fashioned. But what they\'re trying to capture isn\'t \"conventions in Europe in the 18th century\" but \"how do we perceive consonance and dissonance in a complex texture? Why do some dissonances sound bad and others sound good?\" ## Counterpoint 1: Consonance **Consonance: unisons, 3rds, 6ths, 5ths, and octaves** These are some lines we'll use for practice. Each is called a **cantus firmus**.[^1] ![[cantus-firmus.webp]] **Deep Rule \#1: use only consonance on strong beats.** Here's an exercise to practice Rule \#1. The other rules are there to make sure your line comes out nice. Copy out one line, and write a new line against it in whole notes, following these rules: - Only consonant intervals --- only thirds, sixths, fifths, and octaves are allowed. - Maximum distance between parts is a 12th (fifth plus octave) - Maximum 3 thirds or 3 sixths in a row. - You cannot have 2 octaves or fifths in a row. To make your line good: - Don't leap twice in the same direction in a row - If you leap up, you must next go down by step - If you leap down, you must next go up by step - You must not outline the tritone (B-F) You can write a line above or below the cantus, but they should not cross. If you write above, you can start with an octave, fifth, or third. You must end with an octave or a fifth. If you write below, you must start and end with an octave or a fifth. ### Example: Sweet Prospect Hymn from *The Sacred Harp* *Compare the bottom with any other part. Look at the intervals used. What intervals are 'consonant' in this style? How else are the rules similar or different from ours?* ![[sweet-prospect.png]] ![[sweet-prospect.mp3]] ## Counterpoint 2: Dissonance - Half Notes, Passing Tones, Lower Neighbors **Definitions:** **The consonant intervals: U, 3, 5, 6, 8 The dissonant intervals: 2, 4, 7** **A step: movement by 2nds A leap: any larger movement** **Deep Rule \#2: Weak beats can be dissonant.** **Deep Rule \#3: No leaping to or from dissonance.** We\'ll write a line against a cantus. In each bar, we'll have **two half notes**. - except bar 1, which can start with a half rest if you want - except the last bar, which ends on a whole note The first half note is the strong beat: it must be consonant (Rule 1). The second half note is the weak beat: you can have consonance or dissonance (\#2), but if dissonance you cannot leap to or from it (\#3). This means that you have two options: passing tones and neighbor tones. ![[pt-and-nt.webp]] To make better lines, follow the rules from exercise 1, plus: Don't leap over the bar-line. This will give us the smoothest possible connection every time the cantus moves. Avoid upper neighbors. Not a hard and fast rule, they're just not as nice. Copy out A Cantus Firmus. write a new line Above or below it in half notes, following these rules, plus rules from \#1. ### Example: Bicinum 4 Josquin des Prez (c. 1450-1521) *Skim quickly and look for 'things that might be passing tones.' Zoom in on a section --- write out the intervals (note Vox 2 is an octave lower than written). How are dissonances handled?* ![[Josquin-Bicinum4.pdf]] *Guess some percentages --- how much do the lines move in parallel motion? Contrary motion? Oblique? motion? At the same time vs. at different times?* ## Counterpoint 3: Quarter Notes When the measure is felt in 4 beats, they have this pattern: **strong weak strong weak**. ![[beat-pattern.png]] **Beat 1 must be consonant (Rule 1).** **Beat 2 and 4 can be consonant, a passing tone, or a neighbor tone.** **Beat 3 can be consonant, or a passing tone.** - Still make your lines nice (balance steps and leaps, don't leap twice same direction, don't imply tritone, etc) - Still don't leap over the bar line - Still no parallel fifths or octaves on the quarter note level or on the whole-note level, ie downbeats - First bar can start with rests. End with a whole note. - There are two special figures you can use, the double neighbor and cambiata. ![[3rd-species-examples.png]] ## Counterpoint 4: Suspensions Remember Deep Rule \#1: use only consonance on strong beats? A suspension gets you around it by stretching the previous note to delay that consonance. It has a few requirements: - Preparation - Must be a half note. - Must be on beat 3. - Must be consonant. - Suspension - Must be a half note on beat 1. - Must be tied from the previous bar. - Must be dissonant. - Resolution - Must be down by step from the suspension. - Must be consonant. Notice that you can get a suspension-looking figure by tying across the bar line to a consonance, but this is not a suspension and does not require a resolution. ![[suspensions.png]] Copy out a Cantus Firmus. write a new line Above or below it in half notes tied across the barlines, making suspensions when you can. Look for suspensions in this Mass for 4 Voices. Notice there are two whole notes in a bar, so a suspension can be a hold over a bar-line, or a hold over the half-bar-line. (Also note: no ties in this style of notation!) Also note how much **imitation** there is. Every entrance imitates the previous. ![[byrd-kyrie.mp3]] ![[byrd-kyrie.pdf]] Polyphony from Georgia has some different ideas. Study the intervals - what are treated as consonances here that wouldn't be in Western Classical music? What else is different? Class 3 Project ![[alliluya georgia.mp3]] ![[alliluya-1.pdf]] ## Practice Two lines that freely play together, in good counterpoint. Use the bicinum by Josquin as an example. While you\'re learning, write the interval between the two lines for every note. Note which are consonant and which are dissonant. \"Good counterpoint\" ideally follows all the rules above, but a summary of the essential points is: - Strong beats (beats 1 and 3 in 4/4 time) should be consonances, unless they are suspensions. - Lines are independent. Often one moves while the other holds. If they move in parallel, it\'s not for very long. Rhythmic variety helps. - When they do move in parallel, they need to be in 3rds or 6ths only. Parallel 5ths and octaves clonk and break the texture. - Dissonances work only when handled in certain ways: - passing tones (connecting consonances) - neighbor tones (depart and return from consonances by step) - suspensions (a consonance, held from a weak beat, \*becoming a dissonance on a strong beat, and then resolving down by step). - Your bicinum must be at least 24 bars long. [^1]: These 'Chant donnés' were taught at the Paris Conservatory in the olden days and handed down to me by Philip Lasser. This distillation of counterpoint is inspired by his 'compositional counterpoint.'