Counterpoint Course

Lesson 1 • Intervals and Their Consonance

Classify perfect, imperfect, and dissonant intervals by sound and notation. This taxonomy underpins every voice-leading decision in the course.

Lesson 2 • The Cantus Firmus

Analyze and compose cantus firmus melodies that serve as the structural spine for all species exercises. Students evaluate quality using established criteria.

Lesson 3 • Melodic Line Construction

Shape singable, goal-directed melodic lines using stepwise motion, leaps, and recovery. Strong melodic craft is prerequisite to combining voices.

Lesson 4 • Voice Ranges and Clefs

Map soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ranges and their standard clefs. Correct range usage prevents voice crossing and unidiomatic writing.

Lesson 1 • Opening and Closing Formulas

Construct idiomatic beginnings and cadences that establish and confirm the mode or key. Proper framing gives exercises structural coherence.

Lesson 2 • Writing the Counterpoint Below

Invert the task by placing the counterpoint beneath the cantus firmus, adjusting interval logic accordingly. Bass-position writing introduces new voice-leading challenges.

Lesson 3 • Motion Types and Their Use

Apply contrary, oblique, similar, and parallel motion strategically to maintain independence. Motion variety is the primary tool for avoiding forbidden parallels.

Lesson 4 • Writing the Counterpoint Above

Compose a consonant upper voice against a given cantus firmus using all first-species principles. Students annotate each interval and motion type.

Lesson 1 • Weak-Beat Dissonance Logic

Explain why passing tones are permitted on weak beats while strong beats remain consonant. This principle governs all subsequent species work.

Lesson 2 • Consonant Skips and Leaps

Use consonant skips on weak beats to add melodic variety without violating dissonance rules. Proper leap recovery remains mandatory.

Lesson 3 • Passing Tones in Context

Deploy diatonic and chromatic passing tones to fill melodic gaps and create linear momentum. Students identify and compose passing-tone figures.

Lesson 4 • Extended Second-Species Exercises

Write complete second-species exercises above and below varied cantus firmus lines. Feedback focuses on melodic shape, dissonance treatment, and cadential approach.

Lesson 1 • Third Species: Four Notes Against One

Fill each cantus note with four quarter-note figures using passing, neighbor, and consonant-skip patterns. Melodic fluency and dissonance control are assessed simultaneously.

Lesson 2 • Standard Suspension Types

Catalog 7-6, 4-3, 9-8, and 2-3 suspensions with their characteristic resolutions. Each type is practiced in isolation before combining them in exercises.

Lesson 3 • Introduction to Suspensions

Define the preparation, suspension, and resolution phases of a suspension figure. Suspensions are the cornerstone of fourth-species and later free counterpoint.

Lesson 4 • Dissonance on Beat Three

Navigate the special permission for dissonance on beat three within a four-beat measure. Students learn when this license applies and how to voice it correctly.

Lesson 1 • Cadential Formulas in Fifth Species

Craft idiomatic cadential approaches using suspension, anticipation, or florid motion to the final. Strong cadences give exercises a sense of arrival.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Florid Writing

Combine whole, half, quarter, and eighth notes with suspensions to create organic melodic flow. Rhythmic variety must serve melodic logic, not obscure it.

Lesson 3 • Anticipations and Escape Tones

Introduce anticipations and escape tones as expressive ornamental dissonances permitted in fifth species. Students distinguish them from illegal dissonances.

Lesson 4 • Complete Florid Exercises

Compose full fifth-species exercises above and below multiple cantus firmus lines with instructor critique. Self-assessment rubrics reinforce independent revision skills.

Lesson 1 • Harmonic Implication in Two Voices

Construct two-voice textures that clearly imply functional harmonic progressions without inner voices. Students learn to outline chords through melodic motion.

Lesson 2 • From Species to Free Style

Map species rules onto free tonal writing, identifying which constraints remain absolute and which become stylistic preferences. This bridge prevents regression to error.

Lesson 3 • Composing Original Two-Voice Pieces

Write complete original duets of 16–24 measures integrating all free-counterpoint skills. Pieces are analyzed, revised, and prepared for performance reading.

Lesson 4 • Phrase Structure and Cadences

Design antecedent-consequent phrase pairs with authentic, half, and deceptive cadences in two voices. Phrase planning precedes note-by-note writing.

Lesson 1 • Three-Voice Free Composition

Compose original three-voice pieces using free counterpoint principles within tonal harmonic progressions. Texture, independence, and phrase structure are evaluated.

Lesson 2 • Voice Crossing and Overlap

Identify and eliminate voice crossing and voice overlap as threats to textural clarity. Students develop spatial awareness of all three voices simultaneously.

Lesson 3 • Chord Completeness and Doubling

Balance root, third, and fifth distribution across three voices to achieve full sonority. Doubling conventions differ by chord quality and position.

Lesson 4 • Adding a Third Voice

Introduce the third voice as a complement to an existing two-voice framework. Students learn to maintain independence while filling harmonic gaps.

Lesson 1 • Episodes and Stretto

Write modulatory episodes using sequence and invertible counterpoint, and introduce stretto as a compression device. These techniques extend a fugue beyond its exposition.

Lesson 2 • Fugal Exposition Basics

Construct a subject, answer, and countersubject for a fugal exposition in three or four voices. Students analyze model expositions before composing their own.

Lesson 3 • Introduction to Imitation

Define imitation as the restatement of a melodic idea in a second voice at a specified interval and time delay. Students identify imitation in score excerpts.

Lesson 4 • Four-Voice Texture Principles

Manage spacing, doubling, and voice leading across soprano, alto, tenor, and bass simultaneously. Four-voice writing demands systematic error-checking routines.