Hey all,

I know what a counterpoint line sounds like in music but I do not know what defines one. I would also like to know how to create one. Like do I use certain notes from the same scale or something or what? is there any concrete concepts I should know in order to create one?

Thanks

ANdrew

I bet that seemed like a simple question, huh?

http://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory33.htm

Thanks,

Wow seems alot harder than I thought it would be..:hiding:

Thanks,

Wow seems alot harder than I thought it would be..:hiding:
Well, the good news is that everything you read about is describing a style of counterpoint. Most are based on Palestrina's style, I believe. Every composer who writes contrapuntally develops their own rules for what is and isn't allowed.

Any time you write with multiple melodies you're writing counterpoint. It's as simple as that. You could sit down at your desk and write a piece of contrapuntal music right now, if you wanted.

What you get from a study of counterpoint is two things:

1. Guidelines for writing balanced, flowing melodies. This is where the rules for which melodic intervals are permissable and which melodic figures are allowed come from.

2. Guidelines for choosing melodies that don't lose their independence to one another other. This is where the rules against putting dissonances on a strong beat and against parallel motion come from.

If you don't follow these rules you're not writing bad music, or even bad counterpoint. You're writing music with less flowing melodies and with less clearly independent lines. When you want to change that, study counterpoint. But don't feel like you have to know all the rules before you can even take a stab at it.

counterpoint example

Contrapuntal music comes in many forms, and can be analyzed with many rules. (That were funnyily enough created after the art form, and therfore should only be used as guidelines, Bach breaks many rules that are supposed to be Baroque writing convention!!).

I think when most people talk about counterpoint they are talking about polyphonic music: Independant melodies moving in contrary motion.

If you wrote a single note melody and harmonised it with consecutive intervals: i.e all 3rds or 5ths we are not talking about counterpont. If you were to write a 2nd independant melody that also contributed to outlining the harmony then we're in business!! Great keyboard players think vertically (chord) as well as horizontally (melody) when comping.

Whether or not you include consecutive 5ths or octaves and other convention breaking movement is really a matter of taste nowadays.

Check out Baroque 4 part SATB choral music for classic counterpoint writing.