I'm new to counterpoint and this time i tried challenging myself by writing a counterpoint in second species in phrygian E
I'm sure there are problems with my counterpoint and wanted to see if anyone more pro could help me understand them and notice them
I also don't know what to do about the cadence to avoid breaking the rules so i put a C# to avoid tritone with the F in the upper part
I also didn't use D# afterward because it will make disoonan
se with F in the upper part
But the melody would make a minor second stepwise motion that i' not sure i'm premitted to have
https://i.postimg.cc/WbqvdsSp/20240501-161718.jpg
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Note, C#-F is a diminished fourth, not a third.– user1079505Commented May 1 at 15:35
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I thought i could use it because the F natural is the enharmonic of E# what do you suggest me to put there?– user98606Commented May 1 at 15:48
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21) Yeah, you can spell an interval with a different enharmonic spelling and it can change the number. C to D# is an augmented 2nd; C to Eb is a minor third. But note also, you said "I put a C# to avoid tritone with the F," but a tritone is an augmented 4th, not a diminished one. In other words the C would have been fine; it would only have been a tritone if the F was sharp (or if the F was natural and the C was flat).– Andy BonnerCommented May 1 at 16:59
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1As a curiosity, what book are you working through?– nuggetheadCommented May 1 at 19:50
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That was such an obvious mistake i made . Thank you for that but i don't think the natural C would be fine . I still forms a perfect fourth on the downbeat– user98606Commented May 2 at 13:36
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2 Answers
i put a C# to avoid tritone with the F in the upper part...
Like @nuggethead I though to try A D E (or just D for the whole penultimate bar) as the last three notes of your counterpoint bass. The main idea being the F could be harmonized with either D for a tenth or A for a sixth.
...also didn't use D# afterward because it will make disoonan
For this kind of species counterpoint exercise, the final cadence will be step-wise motion in both voices, in contrary motion, with one of the steps being a half step and the other being a whole step.
In some cases, such as a final cadence in dorian, that means you will use a sharp on the C to D motion, which effectively creates a leading tone.
In phrygian we get a unique case. The half step motion, the motion you can think of as the leading tone motion, will be the F to E descending half step, the other step will be the whole step from D ascending to E.
So, you definitely do not need to use a sharp on D. Also, you can think of the half step of the final cadence in phrygian as a sort of "upside down leading tone."
answered May 1 at 18:30
Start backwards. What is your last note in the counterpoint? In the Phrygian mode with the CF on top, D is the only choice. And against the G in the CF you have E, so begin like this...
Now fill in the two missing beats. Here is one possible solution:
Another solution is that it is possible to use a whole note in the second-to-last measure. So this is viable also:
Whatever you do, definitely don't use any accidentals in this stage of counterpoint. You have to make do with the "white notes." Also, avoid using the tritone B-F even if they aren't at the same instant. This example (below) sounds a little wonky because we still hear the B-F tension even though they don't sound at the same time.
All of these peculiarities about the Phrygian mode make life tricky but give it its character.
