16th Century Counterpoint - 2 Voices, 1st Species Primer

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An interesting exercise.

Modern ears are used to less strict rules so you have to let your eye do most of the checking but I think I have followed all the rules. The ending on the fifth seems odd but it has an "early music" feel if a little plodding because of the lack of rhythmic variety.

I wasn't sure if accidentals were allowed in the melody or not - I didn't use any. I put the interval under the bass line.

x

There.

counterpointexercise16thcentury.mid

counterpointexercise16thcentury.pdf

x

I've amended the files.

The 3rd last bar had an octave named as a fifth - a curious error. I was doing a lot of experimenting - I should have kept more versions.

The melody had an augmented fourth from bar 6 to bar 7 fixed by a flat on the B in bar 7 to make it perfect.

Yes, I have done some counterpoint before but not with the extra 16th century rules. Avoiding augmented intervals in the melody is a rule I see in my small text on elementary counterpoint now that I have consulted it.

A more interesting exercise than one might think at first glance.

x

Euler -

To make the exercise harder (and Jeppeson does this in his text), what would you do if I disallowed accidentals? In other words you are restricted to the Ionian on C scale only.

The easy solution is to descend from Bb to G as then there will be contrary motion through this octave.

But I think moving the Bb up to a D giving a P5 and then moving the next note down to G giving a 3rd (and contrary motion entering and leaving the P5) gives a better sound - it seems to group the 12 bars into three 4-bar phrases.

x

All right, I'll bite.

I stuck to Jeppesen's recommendation of keeping the voices within a tenth of each other. This jumpy bass part isn't the most melodic imaginable, but I rather like its internal symmetry and a bartoky character that becomes more evident if you play it fast and percussively...

I can't remember how to make Lilypond generate MIDI, so I can only hope the judge can read music. :P

jeppesen02.pdf

Good work - I especially like how you handled the additional restriction of no accidentals AND did this within a 10th. Actually though Jeppeson allows intervals up to a 12th. When you work with 3 or more voices will ocassionally exceed this for practicality.

Now, check your work again as you have two instances of parallel octaves -- recall the rule to avoid parallel P5 and P8 and the best way to do this is to avoid similar motion to these intervals. Check where you approached octaves in similar motion and correct it -- you may use the interval of the 12th if necessary.

I decided to try two more sustaining instruments with different timbres so the parts would be clearer. Well, with GPO the clarinet and cello are quite musical together - the midi much less so.

And of course the clarinet transposes - I usually don't work in concert pitch - it's easier to mentally transpose than fix the mess Finale makes when you go back - but for this the score is shown in concert pitch.

I did two versions - the melody jumps down an octave beginning the second version to keep to the contrary motion rule.

Euler - Fantastic job on both but the second one - that should be kept for the foundation of a piece for clarinet and cello.

One suggestion on the first exercise, msr 8 would be fine also if the melody were an A -- granted you'd have 4 descending thirds (which is the limit) BUT as the bass beforehand skips alot and moves in contrary motion from mm 9 - 10, this would still be interesting. Another reason for suggesting the A is that the skip to the maj third and then the downward motion by a M2 breaks up the stepwise motion in the soprano and gives the melody a large arc from beginning to end. Consider this suggestion. Again, excellent work.

Euler or anybody else interested in trying 2 voice, 2nd specie (eg 2 notes against one) counterpoint? Some additions rules for this specie. Just post to let me know.

Tried the first and fifth species...

Download it here

I think I did a hidden fifth at bar 6... can't b bothered to rethink that, it's 3AM!!

Steve

Steve - good work especially for how quickly you were able to do 1st AND 5th species!

I'll comment on your 1st species. Look around mm 6 and 7. You improperly identified an interval which led to a few parallel 5ths. Also, the G in msr 10 makes the melody too static - esp as you return to the interval 2 mm before. Last, the downward 6th though appropriate in later musical periods is very unusual in strict 16th century counterpoint. Note the rule I gave allows only for ascending 6ths. Also this 6th descent gives the melodic line a bit too abrupt approach to the tonic - more preparation is required I think.

See if you can fix these errors in your 1st species

Heya

I hope it's not too late for me to join the party :P

I did the exercise suggested on the very first post. I'm not sure if my use of oblique motion is too correct, or the way I moved from the octave to the fifth in the second stave - but I gave it my best shot.

Counterpoint first species.pdf

counterpoint first species.mid

M-D -

It is correct so good work on that BUT one important mistake - avoid repeated notes.

If you listen to yours compared to Eulers you will hear a difference and one of the most important purposes of this exercise. So, try it again without any repeated notes!

PS. Glad you joined in too. I plan to start a thread on 2nd species. This will probably go to the masterclass as 16th century counterpoint is a big topic.

I gave it another shot. I'm not sure if the tenth is allowed, but I figured it's a consonance.

Counterpoint Exercise - 2nd try.pdf

Much better. A few things though - Start and end on the tonic. SO your first melody note would not be G. Also, sing your melody line or look at the contour. I think it could still have more variety. Why not give one more try OR transpose the bass an octave to make it the melody and write a new bass.

Much better. A few things though - Start and end on the tonic. SO your first melody note would not be G.

It's just that according to Fux, one may begin with a perfect consonance (unison, octave or fifth), so I thought it was valid. In fact, you said it yourself on your first post: 2) You must begin and end with a P8, P5, or unisons.

I'll do what you said about writing a new bass.

EDIT: Here it is.

Counterpoint Exercise - New Bass Line.pdf

t -

1) My apologies about adding an unnecessary rule. I think my ear just wasn't attuned to the emphasis on the dominant. So, you are correct.

2) The bass line you wrote is great and the best line so far. Good variety, sense of direction and the counterpoint is fine!

Thanks for being such a good sport!

Okay, here's my ake on both exercises. First you have the first challenge, with a cantus firmus takes from Jeppesen. First the cf is a the bottom, then on top. After that I've included the phrygian challenge.

I own Jeppesen, but I haven't read it through, so I can't tell every rule in it. However, I haven't been able to find the rule that says that the 12th cannot be exceeded. What is said, however, is that the 10th should only be exceeds "for the sake of a beautiful voice leading" (page 112). I use two 14th in my example, in the attempt to make the melody line as interesting as possible. In the bassline in my third example, note 4 bar 1 should have been a C in order to make the melody as interesting as possible, but this would leave us with a ninth interval. Other than this, I think this is done as well as I can do.

Sibelius.pdf

untitled.mid

Okay, here's my take on all the assignments. The first and second part (line one) is a Cantus Firmus taken from Jeppesen, first in the lower voice, then the upper. The third is the phrygian challenge. I chose D as the bass tone, as it's a fifth under the A. This breaks with the rule that the lower voice should always contain the root note of the mode, but in this case, following that rule would result in a fourth interval, so it's really a moot point.

untitled.mid

Sibelius.pdf

So sorry I did not respond sooner.

First off good work - good melodic contours and direction. Only two things to consider/correct -

1) Look carefully around msr 7 and 8 you approach an octave in similar motion and violate on fot eh rules.

2) Msr 5 and 6 are correct but I think the 8 5 8 is not the best choice. Just something to keep in mind that in 2 voice ctrpt you have to avoid too many alterations of octaves and P5s - tends to diminish the feel of independent lines,

Overall, excellent work.