Species Counterpoint |
First species in two partsSpecies counterpoint is the art of writing one or more lines of music against a given line to form a satisfactory polyphony. The given line is called the cantus firmus, which is Latin for "fixed melody" (the plural is cantus firmi). It always consists of a series of semibreves that begin and end on the same pitch. In counterpoint exercises, this line must never be changed. |
| Ex 1.2 |
This is an example of "second species counterpoint" - two notes against one - in three parts. The cantus firmus from Example 1.1 has been transposed up an octave and provdes the treble part; another line of semibreves forms the bass. The inner part moves at the faster speed of two notes per bar; this is the species line, and it determines the character of the exercise. |
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| Ex 1.3 |
Consonant intervals may either be perfect or imperfect. Perfect intervals are those which do not have "major" or "minor" verson. The octave and fifth are perfect consonances; the fourth is also a perfect interval, though it is not always consonant (in strict counterpoint, a fourth between the bass and another line is a dissonance; between any two other parts, the fourth is consonant). Imperfect intervals are major and minor thirds and sixths. Dissonant intervals are major and minor seconds and sevenths, and also ninths. Here are some examples of consnant and dissonant intervals. |
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| Ex 1.4 |
The tonality of the cantus firmus must be established at the beginning: this is achieve by putting the key-note (i.e. the first note of the scale) in the bass and making the first interval a unison, third, fifth of octave. If the cantus firmus is the upper part, the species line must begin with the key-note and the opening interval will automaticallly be an octave or unison. The exercise should also end with a cadence. In two-part counterpoint, this means a linear cadence : the parts move in opposite directions by step from a major sixth to the octave or from a minor third to a unison (or a minor tenth to an octave). The parts must move well together and should avoid crossing where possible, but they must also give evidence of moving independently. This is achieved by using a combination of three types of relative motion between them:
(a) similar motion: the parts move in the same direction (when they move by exactly the same amount, we call this parallel motion;
(b)contrary motion: the parts move in the opposite direction; and
(c)oblique motion: one part moves whiles the other remains stationary. Consecutive perfect intervals: Consecutive fifths (sometimes called parallel fifths should be avoided at all times. Similar motion to a perfect interval, which results in what are called hidden fifths, is likewise not to be used in two-part counterpoint. (In three- and four-part counterpoint, hidden fifths are found more frequently, and can sometimes help to define a key.) |
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| Ex 1.5 |
Here is an example of two-part counterpoint in the first species by Fux. Note that 1) there is a mixture of similar, contrary and oblique motion, and 2) the first and last intervals between the two parts are perfect; between these points, only two intervals are perfect, the other seven are imperfect. |
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