All Questions
Tagged with counterpoint harmony
63
questions
32
votes
11
answers
44k
views
How is counterpoint different from harmony?
Harmony is a kind of second sound you hear. Counterpoint is also the second sound you hear.
Aside from technical differentiation, how can you by ear differentiate these two concepts. Is it possible ...
- 2,263
21
votes
2
answers
15k
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Is there any real difference between Counterpoint and Polyphony?
From what I understand, they both kind of refer to the same thing. Why the need for 2 terms?
- 1,332
11
votes
3
answers
1k
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Are minor sevenths allowed in baroque counterpoint?
Are minor sevenths allowed in baroque counterpoint? I ask because in the first measure of Bach's Invention No. 1 the upper voice and lower voice have an interval of a minor seventh (the upper voice ...
- 1,169
11
votes
3
answers
5k
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Is there some trick for counterpoint beyond 2 voices?
I really suck at chord harmony, so whenever I compose, I tend to use counterpoint a lot.
Counterpoint is somewhat easy when you just have two voices. Because I just compose for fun, I generally do ...
- 213
11
votes
3
answers
1k
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Why does Fux use F# in his counterpoint to a firmus written in G mixolydian
In the given image below, Fux writes a counterpoint to a cantus firmus given to him as part of his studies by his fictitious teacher Aloysious.
A rule that is often emphasised is that one should ...
- 211
9
votes
2
answers
1k
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Accidentals in First Species Counterpoint
On page 39 of Alfred Mann's The Study of Counterpoint there is a passage concerning justification of using accidentals in first species counterpoint.
Here is the passage:
Aloys: [...]but why did you ...
- 1,169
7
votes
2
answers
788
views
Why does the leading tone (G#) go to E rather than A in this example?
Why does the leading tone (G#) go to E rather than A in this example?
user20754
7
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Can the leading note resolve down?
Would like to ask if the leading tone in chord V (G) could resolve downwards to Eb (fifth of chord I)?
I’ve somehow recall reading that the rule (leading note MUST resolve to tonic) only applies to ...
- 71
6
votes
2
answers
4k
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Are consecutive 3rds allowed in harmony?
In harmony, is it okay if there are consecutive 3rds in ii-V progression in two different bars?
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Counterpoint with more than 4 parts
In Rachmaninoff Prelude in B Minor Op. 32 No. 10 I've noticed that not all voices are 4 parts. In fact I've noticed that in 19th century and 20th century music there's more than 4 parts in a harmony. ...
- 61
6
votes
2
answers
865
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Four part writing problem: tripled root solution. what is best practice here?
I have hit a problem with this chord change in my four part writing. We are in A minor.
The VI chord is in first inversion, so A must be in the bass. (I have made a mistake in the figure. the VI ...
- 751
6
votes
2
answers
457
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When realizing a basso continuo, should the realization avoid consecutive fifths and octaves with the written parts?
Many continuo manuals (both historical sources and modern treatises) are careful to point out that a continuo realization should be contrapuntally correct, i.e., one ought to avoid parallel fifths and ...
- 2,347
5
votes
3
answers
701
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Is there a rational method to find out which minor scale sounds best in a given situation?
By rational I mean a method that doesn't entirely depend on one's subjective aesthetics, but rather one that has some kind of system behind it.
The obvious rule that you should use the ascending ...
- 2,347
5
votes
2
answers
953
views
Is this a hidden consecutive fifth?
I am working through some beginner counterpoint exercises, and I wrote this harmony above part of a cantus firmus:
.
By my understanding this should be a 3rd to a 5th, which should be acceptable, ...
- 153
5
votes
4
answers
915
views
Counter-example of counterpoint technique?
I'm trying to fully understand the concept that "Counterpoint" entails... but I can't seem to think any situation in which a counterpoint is not present on a song/piece/whatever.
If counterpoint is ...
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