§ Applied Counterpoint Lecture Series

• Applied Counterpoint lecture series

§ Fourth Species: All possible suspensions

• Only minims, but with ties across all bars.
• References
• 9-8 suspension (suspended note is a 9th, resolves into an 8th)
• 7-6 suspension
• 4-3 suspension
• 2-3 suspension
• 4-5 suspension
• 7-8 suspension

§ Fifth Species: Delayed Resolution

• Can use crochets as well as minims now
• References
• When suspending, can repeat suspended note befores resolving.
• When suspending, can go to a quick consonance before resolving.
• When suspending, can go to a different dissonance that will resolve the same way

§ Three part writing

• Incomplete chords allowed, don't always need 135, can have 133 or 355.

§ Countrapunctal textures

• Reference
• Imitative counterpoint: sketch entries first, then suspensios, then harmonies.
• Fill in neutral lines last.
• Allow voices to rest.
• Look for accented passing notes.

§ Instrumental Counterpoint

• Reference
• Compound line: Jumping between two voices.

§ Harmonic Sketch

• Find chord tones available.
• Work out melodic line considering climax.

§ Intro to Fugue

• Reference
• Exposition first
• Answer: Same theme, transposed to dominant.
• Countersubject: Another theme, reguarly combining the first one, highliting it via contrast.
• Once all voices have entered, exposition has ended. Now we get to episodes.
• Fragments of subject and countersubject, with voices alternating.
• Finally, concludes with resolution.
• Fugues can have a stretto, an impatient interruption of the subject.

§ Invertible Counterpoint

• Reference
• A typical chart:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8: intervals between voices
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1: inversions

• Consonances stay consonant, dissonances stay dissonant.
• The fifth changes into a fifth (perfect into dissonance).
• So we should try to keep the fifths as passing notes.
• Can also transport up a 12th

1  2   3   4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
12  11 10  9 8 7 6 4 4 3  2  1

• When inverting, sixth becomes 7th, so we need to be careful.
• When transporting to 10th, imperfect consonances become perfect. So we cannot have parallel thirds and sixths, since that will create parallel perfect motion when inverted.

§ Tonal Answer

• Subject in tonic
• Answer in voice 2 (dominant) + countersubject in voice 1 (tonic).
• Subject in voice 3(tonic) +countersubject in voice 2. Voice 1 is now free.
• Now alternate.
• Then alternate, between tonic and dominant.
• When the subject has e.g. C -> G, the countersubject may create G -> D which sounds odd. Bach instead keeps it G -> C, subtly changing.
• If we have a prominent I → IV, I → V, it becomes awkward.

§ Fugal Epiode

• Two kinds
• Kind 1: each part repeats its motive, moving step by step.
• Kind 2: imitative.
• Choose a motive.
• Write out the leading line in one voice, with block chords underneath, outlining harmony.
• If episode is imitative, distribute main motive between the parts.
• Add secondary parts.

§ Composing a whole fugue

• Reference
• Music Composition, Craft and Art
• Pick a Subject + Countersubject.
• Draw a stretto table.
• Subject on top staff.
• Below, copy and paste at various time and pitch intervals.
• For the time intervals, try every upbeat.
• For pitch, include every diatonic interval.
• Also work out a table for the answer.
• One more table with the inverted subject. One more table with subject plus inverted.