The e!iting win!

ow

/0gina 1 !e 2

Go to Table of Contents

First Species Counterpoint

In First Species exercises you'll write note-to-note polyphony: the notes all move together The voices are rhythmically i!entical" but aim for in!epen!ence in their melo!ic lines Tra!itionally these exercises are performe! using whole notes" li#e this exercise in two parts:

In his Modal and Tonal Counterpoint $arol! %wen suggests that one coul! usefully expan! first species by allowing !ifferent note values" so long as each pitch has only one counterpart pitch in the other voice or voices& he even allows repeate! pitches in any voice 'ou are free to write exercises of that type in the free practice win!ow - (ust mo!ify the rule about repeate! pitches an! otherwise #eep to first species rules )ut to #eep things simple we'll ma#e these exercises all in whole notes The usual way of procee!ing is to write your counterpoint to a cantus firmus *a fixe! melo!y+ that is supplie! for you ,ater you can try writing your own c f s" but Counterpointer can generate them for you an! also contains the library of c f s foun! in Fux's Gradus ad Parnassum

How to write in First Species

Melodic movement:
-o voice shoul! ma#e a leap larger than a fifth" except for the octave an! the ascen!ing minor sixth .voi! ma#ing successive same-!irection leaps in the same voice unless they outline a tria! If they can't be avoi!e! they shoul! at least total less than an octave ,eaps greater than a fifth shoul! be compensate! by movement in the opposite !irection If the leap is ascen!ing ma#e sure the compensation is stepwise

. leap of an octave shoul! be balance!: prece!e! an! followe! by notes within the octave

-o voice shoul! move by a chromatic interval *any augmente! or !iminishe! interval+

file:555C:5/rogram863Files863*x49+5Counterpointer8636863Fol!er5C/:anual5first

3451156317

!he editing window

()gina * de +

Avoid repeating a pitch when possible, especially in the lowest voice. You can repeat a pitch as many as three times successively if necessary. Keep each voice confined to a singable range for the part, preferably not exceeding a tenth from its highest to its lowest pitch.

Rhythm:
Voices all move together in the same rhythm as the cantus firmus. For traditional exercises all notes are whole notes.

Independence of voices:
Avoid writing parallel fifths or octaves (moving two voices in the same direction from one fifth or octave to another .

Avoid writing direct fifths or octaves (moving two voices in the same direction to a fifth or an octave . !here are exceptions" these may be acceptable at a cadence, or if one voice is inner and the exposed voice moves stepwise. #irect $ths in the outer voices will be accepted if the upper voice moves by step. #o not let two voices leap to a perfect interval unless one of them is an inner part. Avoid parallel fourths unless the lower tone of the fourth is not the bass and the pitch class a third below that note is present (that is, parallel %st&inversion triads are 'K .

Avoid writing more than three of the same interval in a row in any two parts (e.g. four consecutive thirds or four consecutive sixths .

file"...0".(rogram1*,Files1*,(x-2 .0ounterpointer1*,*1*,Folder.0(3anual.first... ,-.%%.*,%/

,he editing window

/0gina + de 1

Upper voices can sometimes cross if necessary, but avoid "overlapping" (in an overlap voices do not cross, but one moves to a position that is at or beyond the previous pitch of another voice).

Do not move to an octave with leaping motion in either voice unless the movement is oblique (one voice remaining on the same pitch). One perfect interval can follow another in the same voices only if one of the voices moves stepwise. void the unison e!cept at the beginning or end. uthorities disagree" #u! forbids unisons e!cept at terminals (though he occasionally shows on in his e!amples). $eppeson is much more free with unisons. %ut since these e!ercises are mostly based on the #u! method we&ll 'eep his ob(ection to unisons. )n all species of counterpoint, use contrary motion frequently to emphasi*e the independence of voices.

Dissonance handling:
)n first species there is no dissonance, so the only harmonic intervals allowed are the thirds, si!ths, fifth, and octave (and, when in + parts or more, the fourth if its lower tone is not the bass). ,he diminished fifth and augmented fourth will be considered consonant if they are not formed with the bass. -ote also #u!&s admonition that full triads should be used whenever possible, and when that is not possible use thirds and si!ths in preference to "empty" fifths.

Harmony:
)f in two parts the music must begin with perfect consonances (octaves, fifths, or unisons) and end with octaves or unisons. )n three or more parts you can begin and end with full triads, but the ending must be either a ma(or triad or a perfect consonance. #u! advises that if the mode does not contain a ma(or third over the tonic, then it is best to leave the third out of the final chord rather than to raise it to a ma(or third. .owever, a concluding ma(or triad was common practice and is acceptable here. ( s before) void doubling a seventh. ,he c.f. will always begin and end with the tonic. )f the c.f. is in an upper voice be sure not to harmoni*e it with a fifth below at the beginning. ,hat would give the impression of a different mode. void placing the chromatically altered form of a note immediately ad(acent to its unaltered form

file"4447"4/rogram862#iles862(!39)47ounterpointer8626862#older47/:anual4first... 234554625+

0he editing window

-.gina / de /

in a different voice (i.e. cross relation). In two-part writing, avoid adjacent use in different voices of two pitches that form the tritone (tritone cross relation). In general keep to the pitch classes of the mode expressed by the cantus firmus. nless you transpose a cantus firmus this will in practice mean the !white key! notes in "ounterpointer#s species exercises. $onmodal tones may be introduced, however, if they accord with conventional principles for altered tones. $ext %o to table of contents & '()) *rs $ova +oftware, ,,"

file4222"42-rogram5'(6iles5'((x17)2"ounterpointer5'('5'(6older2"-8anual2first... (12))2'()3