Modal Counterpoint

2 Counterpoint: First Species

Key Points

  • First species counterpoint is a traditional compositional exercise that teaches us to consider how to start and end melodic lines and, most importantly, how to keep them independent of each other while also working together as a unified whole.
  • When writing in first species, follow these guidelines:
    • Begin on a perfect unison, fifth, or octave.
    • Both voices move at exactly the same rate at a 1:1 ratio and have no rhythmic variety (for example, all notes are whole notes).
    • Harmonically, the intervals between the two voices will all be consonances.
    • Melodically, it is best to primarily move by stepwise motion and use skips and leaps only occasionally.
    • Melodic leaps of a tritone or seventh are forbidden.
    • Parallel motion by perfect consonances (fifths, octaves) are forbidden.
    • End with a perfect unison or octave.

As we learned in the introduction, Counterpoint is the mediation of two or more musical lines into a meaningful whole. In counterpoint of the first species, we will strive to write a smooth melody that has its own integrity of shape, variety, independence, and goal-directed motion against a given melody that will also contain these traits. The melody you compose is called the Counterpoint and the given melody is called the Cantus Firmus . Further, and most importantly, we strive to have both melodies combine in a such a way as to create a whole musical texture that is smooth, exhibits variety and goal-oriented motion, and in which these melodies both maintain their independence and fuse together into consonant simultaneities (the general term for two or more notes sounding at the same time). In first species we write one new melodic note for each new note in the Cantus Firmus. Thus, first species is sometimes called “one-against-one” or 1:1 counterpoint as both voices move together. To keep things simple, and focused on only a few elements at a time, we will not worry about a time signature or any type of meter at the present time. The only note value we will use will be a whole note.

The Counterpoint Melody

In general, the counterpoint melody should follow the principles of writing a good melodic line as discussed in the Introduction to Counterpoint.

To help gain an understanding of how these melodies should look and sound, it is best to examine examples. Below are the complete exercises of first-species counterpoint found in Part I of the counterpoint treatise, Gradus ad Parnassum by Fux which was referenced in the introduction. All of these exercises are annotated with the interval that the counterpoint line makes against the cantus firmus:

https://musescore.com/user/32728834/scores/8488049/embed

Example 1. All first-species exercises from Gradus ad Parnassum.

Guidelines: Beginning and Ending

Beginning a first species counterpoint

As you can see (and hear), each exercise in Example 1 begins with a perfect consonance. This creates a sense of stability which we want to have at the beginning of our phrases.

When writing a counterpoint above a given cantus firmus, the first note of the counterpoint should be the modal final, or in other words, scale degree do (\hat1) or sol , scale degree (\hat5) (a P1, P5, or P8 above the cantus). Note: The terms  do, sol, etc. are the solfege syllables sung in accordance modal and tonal scale degrees.

When writing a counterpoint below a given cantus firmus, the first note of the counterpoint must always be on the modal final, do, scale degree (\hat1) (a P1 or P8 below the cantus). Unlike writing a melody above the cantus, if we begin on sol, scale degree (\hat5) we would create a dissonant interval of a fourth. If we began on fa, scale degree (\hat4) we would create a stable perfect fifth (P5), however this would confuse listeners by not projecting the sense of the modal/tonal center in context, as the tones fa–do, scale degrees (\hat4-\hat1) at the beginning of a phrase may easily be misheard as the tones of do–sol, scale degrees (\hat1-\hat5).

Ending a first species counterpoint

The final note of the counterpoint melody must always be on the modal final, do, scale degree (\hat1) (P1 or P8 above/below the cantus).

To approach this ending smoothly, with variety, and with a strong sense of goal orientation, always approach the concluding interval by contrary stepwise motion as follows:

  • If the cantus ends redo (\hat2-\hat1), the counterpoint melody’s final two pitches should be tido (\hat7-\hat1).
  • If the cantus ends tido (\hat7-\hat1), the counterpoint melody’s final two pitches should be redo (\hat2-\hat1).

Thus, the penultimate beat (just before the conclusion) will either form the interval of a third or sixth between the counterpoint melody and the cantus firmus (Example 2). This ending formula is known as the clausula vera which is a modal cadence.

As we are working within the context of all the diatonic modes in our counterpoint exercises, not just modern major and minor we find in tonal music, it is important to note a few differences and alterations that are common practice, especially with regard to the cadences of counterpoint phrases. In the Dorian mode and the Aeolian (natural minor) mode is it customary to raise scale degree \hat7 to create an artificial leading tone and mimic the tido motion we find typically in the major-like modes of Ionian (major) and Lydian. This is the only time we are allowed to alter any of the notes of the mode. We do not do this for any of the other modes, including Mixolydian and Phrygian which, like Dorian and Aeolian, do not have a natural leading tone.

The exercises found above in Example 1 each end with a clausula vera, further shown below:

https://musescore.com/user/32728834/scores/8513480/embed

Example 2. Examples of the clausula vera in D Dorian mode. 

Guidelines: The Melody

  • It is important to strive for the greatest variety in each line such that the counterpoint melody and the cantus firmus sound like a complete and logical melodic phrase while also working together in a way that does not compromise a sense of independence.
  • Like the cantus firmus, the counterpoint melody should have a single climatic point and, to maintain the independence of the lines and the smoothness of the entire phrase (so no one moment is hyper-emphasized by a double climax), these climaxes should not coincide.
  • A single repeated note or tie in the counterpoint is allowed, but try to avoid any repetition if it can be at all. This promotes variety in the phrase, especially since there are so few notes to work with.
  • Avoid voice crossing. Voice crossings not only diminish the independence of the lines but also make them more difficult to distinguish by ear.
  • Avoid voice overlap, where one voice leaps past the previous note of the other voice. For example, if the upper part sings an E4, the lower part cannot sing an F4 in the following bar. This also helps maintain the independence of the lines.
  • You must stay in the given mode. No changes to the notes in the mode are allowed, other than the exceptions noted above for ending the counterpoint in certain minor-like modes.
  • All melodic motion must be diatonic; chromatic motion is not allowed at this time.

Guidelines: The Harmony (Intervals)

  • The interval between the cantus firmus and counterpoint melody at any given moment should not exceed a perfect twelfth (P12). As a general rule of thumb, try to keep the two lines within an octave where possible, and only exceed a tenth in “emergencies” where not doing so might create a worse problem and even then only briefly (no longer than one or two notes). When the voices are too far apart, we do not hear them as being connected which has a the overall affect of the music and the melodic integrity which listeners hear during a performance.
  • In general, all harmonic consonances are allowed. However, unisons should only be used for the first and last intervals of the phrase as unisons are very stable and serve best as goals rather than midpoints. They also diminish the independence of the lines. Similarly, octaves should be used sparingly though they have less of an effect of complete stability than that of unisions.
  • Imperfect Consonances are preferable to Perfect Consonances for all intervals other than the first and last notes, in order to heighten the sense of arrival at the end and to promote a sense of motion toward that arrival. In all cases, aim for a variety of harmonic intervals over the course of any counterpoint phrase.
  • Never use two perfect consonances of the same size in a row: Example, P5 to P5 or P8 to P8. This includes both simple and compound intervals; for example, P5 to P12 is considered the same as P5–P5. This creates parallel perfect fifths or parallel perfect octaves and will immediately destroy any sense of indepence of line for which we are striving to achieve.
  • Two different perfect consonances in a row, such as P8 to P5, are allowed, but are not desirable. Try to follow every perfect consonance with an imperfect consonance if at all possible.
  • Vary the types of motion between successive intervals, aiming to use each type in the course of the phrase.
  • Because similar and parallel motion diminish variety and melodic independence, their use should be mediated by other factors:
    • Do not use more than three of the same imperfect consonance types in a row (e.g., three thirds in a row).
    • Never move into a perfect consonance by way of similar motion (this is called direct fifths/octaves. This draws too much attention to an interval that already stands out of the texture.
    • Avoid combining similar motion with leaps, especially large ones.

 

EXAMPLE
First-Species in DORIAN, PHRYGIAN, LYDIAN

If the score above is not displaying properly you may CLICK HERE to open it in a new window.

EXERCISES
First Species Counterpoint

You must be logged into your Noteflight account to open the activity templates above.

Further Reading

definition

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Counterpoint: First Species Copyright © 2023 by Elliott Miles McKinley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book