Lesson With Mahlon

Note: ownership of this post has been changed to enable compatibility with Lessons System

Originally Posted by Mahlon

Here is my first counterpoint exercise

OK those are mostly fine.

First one:
5th bar - I would have made the G in the soprano a B instead. It is usual to include the leading tone in the penultimate measure of first species counterpoint. Also, as it is, the D in the bass and the G in the upper voice forms a 4th. The fourth is considered a dissonance between the bass and an upper voice, and dissonances cannot be used just at whim. In 2 part counterpoint, always avoid 4ths between lower and upper part.

Second one:
You have an inexplicable 9th in the second measure. Was this unintended? If not, as mentioned earlier, dissonances cannot be freely used - they must be prepared, sounded, and then resolved. In first species it is usual to avoid them; it is one note against one note, and repeating notes is generally avoided, so it's not a good situation to use dissonance. This comes in the other species (notably the fourth).

Good start anyway - you have a good sense of melodic line, and the harmony is generally clear and logical.

ok thanks, I have a 9th in the second measure because I didn't want the melodies to be too close to eachother. (the fourth was carelesness) Although your right I shouldn't have that dissonance (atleast like you said without being prepared, sounded and resolved. Should I do the rest of the exercises?

Yes, go ahead and do them, but take your time.
Taking the time to think out every note makes you learn faster, and gives better results.

Ok I will, I'm fairly busy with other things at the moment (piano practice, continuing the violin sonata, summer reading) so I will try and do as much as I can, I'll send u them in groups like, 3 or 4 at once so that I can fix errors that could reappear if I decided to do the whole sheet together

Yeah, I'm busy as well, so that will work better for both of us.

I managed to work on 2 more sets of exercises, counterpoint to the e major and g minor canti firmi. I used one fourth in there (d to g in the last bar of the 3rd exercise vertically not horizontally), (also 4th b to f sharp in the second exercise) I think thats allowed but I wasn't sure.. used it because it sounded right. let me know what you think. (p.s. I must be crazy because these exercises are so much fun! I hope I did it correctly.. I spent about a half hour to 45 minutes on it. but I know I've got a long way to go

Well your time spent on these is well worth it - they're coming out well.

I don't know if you've been taught, or have learnt, the rules of counterpoint, but I will let you know the ones which you are running afoul of (rather than just give you dozens of ones which you are keeping to naturally).
Avoid the use of the perfect fifth during the course of a counterpoint exercise. The interval itself is too stable to be used then - it has no tendency to move anywhere, so causes a sort of stasis. This is why it (and the other perfect consonances) are rarely used during the course of an exercise, but always at the beginning and end of one.

Avoid the direct (or hidden) fifth. This is when the interval of a fifth is formed by similar motion of the two parts. You have used it at m.1-2 of the 2nd Emaj, but the direct fifth is permissible between tonic and dominant if the top part move by step so there is no bad effect here.
You also used it at m.2-3 of the 2nd gmin one.

In the minor mode you should use the sharpened seventh, and everything else as per the key signature - (except in some cases, which I'm sure you've picked up on, as you correctly use the 'natural' 7th in m.1-3 of the 2nd gmin)
In measure 2 of the 1st gmin, you've used F natural, where you should use F#. The natural resolution is then for the F# to move to the neighbouring G.

Good work again - keep it up.

yes your right I have not learned ALL the rules of counterpoint.. i have skimmed through some of gradus and parnassum but thats about as much as I've looked at. I honestly admit my knowledge of the rules is somewhat limited. I'm a little confused about the direct/hidden fifth you describe, I don't think I'm seeing it...yet... maybe I need to look closer hmmmm. Also I'm a little confused about when to use the natural seventh v.s. the sharpened 7th.. But I think I understand "In measure 2 of the 1st gmin, you've used F natural, where you should use F#. The natural resolution is then for the F# to move to the neighbouring G." I guess I could browse the gradus to find a discussion of that. (It says in gradus that that direct motion to a perfect consonance is to be avoided, I think I'm seeing what you mean by the hidden fifth now, the fifth being the perfect consonance)

I just found a site that shows basic rules that I think will help me as a guideline
Scott Russell's Theory Lecture (I know you already know this stuff just thought I should show you what I'm looking at)