|
Euler - Ah,I like how you are observing the rules but finding ways to make it musical. Also, I like how you reduce the SENSE of parallel motion. This creates a more sinuous contour and contributes to the improvement of the melodic phrase. Bravo.
Want to address the above and another observation you made Euler. You said that as modern ears are used to greater liberties in counterpoint you have to use your eyes to check your work. Well, please use your ears too! This exercise can serve as a quick sight-singing/ear training exercise. Sing the bass line, sing your treble and then eventually sing one line as you play the other. Ensure you sing relaxed with a quiet enough tone so you can hear that you are matching the pitch.
As for youe other observation, one could do this exercise by writing alternating rising or falling octaves or fifths much of the time but the results would be dull - that is the line would seem to be going in one direction (or with fifths just meandering aound) with intermittent distractions. So keep in mind that excessive alternation of octaves and fifths can make your counterpoint static and uninteresting too. Unfortunately there is no fast hard rule reagrding this -- need to use your ears.
NEXT CHALLENGE (again from Jeppeson)
Now, Euler or anybody else, try the opposite. Write a bass for the following soprano line:
Start on E descend to A, ascend B, C, D, E, F descend to D, ascend to G, descend to F and then to E. The largest skip in this soprano line is the descent of a 5th. The mode used is E Phrygian - do ra me fa sol la te do, (ra = flat 2, me = flat 3, te = flat 7). Or the white keys from E to E on the piano.
EXTRA CHALLENGE -This time NO accidentals allowed -- use only the tones of E Phyrgian scale.
PS. For those familiar with solfege I am using movable do. Please correct me if I misspelled any of the solfege tones.
|