Species counterpoint

Gradus ad ParnassumJohann Joseph Fux, 1725

• First species in three voices · 30 playable examples
• Second species in three voices · 8 playable examples
• Third species in three voices · 5 playable examples
• Fourth species in three voices: ligatures · 18 playable examples
• Florid counterpoint in three voices · 8 playable examples
• Four-part counterpoint: first species · 12 playable examples
• Second species in four voices · 4 playable examples
• Third species in four voices · 15 playable examples
• Fourth species in four voices · 10 playable examples
• Florid counterpoint in four voices · 6 playable examples

• First species counterpoint: note against note

  Joseph. Through your kindness, my first question has been answered. Now please explain what this first species of counterpoint, note against note, is.

  ▶ Fig. 1 nearby
• First species counterpoint: note against note

  Joseph. Is that everything required for this species of counterpoint?

  ▶ Fig. 2 nearby
• First species counterpoint: note against note

  in which case the unison, consisting as it does in a ratio of equality, is heard very little, and seems almost swallowed up and lost. For this reason, in this species of counterpoint, except at the beginning and the end, it must never be used.

  ▶ Fig. 16 nearby
• First species counterpoint: note against note

  From the last two examples it is apparent that you now know everything necessary to know for this species. We must now pursue the second species.

  ▶ Fig. 21 nearby
• Second species counterpoint: two notes against one

  Before I undertake to explain this second species of counterpoint, it must first be understood that we are at present working in duple time, whose beat or measure consists of two equal parts: one in the lowering of the hand, the other in its raising. The…

  ▶ Fig. 22 nearby
• Fifth species counterpoint: florid counterpoint

  This species is called florid counterpoint, so named because it should bloom like a garden with little flowers, with ornament of every kind, grace of melody, supple ease of motion, and a pleasing variety of note forms. For just as we use all the other…

  ▶ Fig. 82 nearby

21 more passages in Gradus ad Parnassum →

• ▶ Fig. 1
  First species counterpoint: note against note
• ▶ Fig. 2
  First species counterpoint: note against note
• ▶ Fig. 22
  Second species counterpoint: two notes against one
• ▶ Fig. 24
  Second species counterpoint: two notes against one
• ▶ Fig. 45
  Third species counterpoint: four notes against one
• ▶ Fig. 46
  Third species counterpoint: four notes against one

Exercises in Elementary CounterpointPercy Goetschius, 1910

• Chapter VII. Rhythmic Diversity. Two Notes To A Given Beat

  …of the given melody. That is, the counterpoint may not only be devised " note against note " in exactly or nearly similar rhythm, as in the preceding lessons, but may run in a more rapid rhythm of two (or more) notes to each note of the given melodic part.

  ▶ Fig. 101 nearby
• Chapter VII. Rhythmic Diversity. Two Notes To A Given Beat

  …in the added part, must be determined precisely as if they stood alone, — note against note, as in former lessons. They are therefore defined according to the table of permissible intervals, 6th, 3rd, 8ve, occasionally the augmented 4th, diminished 5th, and so…

  ▶ Fig. 103 nearby
• Chapter XIV. Diversity Of Rhythmic Movement

  Add a contrapuntal part to each of the following melodies, in corresponding rhythm (note against note, as in Exercise 4), being careful to select good essential intervals, as required in par. 101, — which review.

  ▶ Fig. 252 nearby

• ▶ Ex.31
  Chapter IV. The Association Of Two Melodic Lines
• ▶ Ex.32
  Chapter IV. The Association Of Two Melodic Lines
• ▶ Ex.54
  Chapter VII. Rhythmic Diversity. Two Notes To A Given Beat
• ▶ Ex.55
  Chapter VII. Rhythmic Diversity. Two Notes To A Given Beat
• ▶ Ex.91
  Chapter XII. Four Notes To A Beat
• ▶ Ex.92
  Chapter XII. Four Notes To A Beat

Counterpoint AppliedPercy Goetschius, 1902

• Chapter II

  Rule A. The tie may be applied to any of the preceding (uniform) species of counterpoint with one, two, or three notes to a beat, and results in a faultless syncopation of the same, representing, in each case, the next higher grade of rhythmic motion; ie., the…

  ▶ Fig. 99 nearby
• Chapter VII

  The first species is most common in Organ music; the peculiar difficulties and limitations of Pedal-technique render it often expedient to assign certain adapted figures to the Pedal-part, either quite independent of the Motive, or as a modified (simplified)…

  ▶ Fig. 259 nearby
• Chapter XIII

  This design is the type of the Double-fugue, Third Species (par. 178, class i;

• Chapter XV. THE DOUBLE-FUGUE

  Analyze, very minutely, the following examples of the First Species :

• Chapter XV. THE DOUBLE-FUGUE

  168. In the Second Species, Theme B enters as first contrapuntal associate, in connection with the second announcement of Theme A (i.e., with the first "Response"). It therefore corresponds, in this respect, to the Fugue with Thematic Counterpoint; but all the…

• Chapter XV. THE DOUBLE-FUGUE

  The order of voices during the Exposition is simpler than in the First Species, because Theme B naturally (and almost invariably) follows Theme A in the same voice,— precisely as shown in Exs. 164, 165, excepting that the contrapuntal associate is a genuine…

6 more passages in Counterpoint Applied →

• ▶ Exercise4-Model-A
  Chapter II
• ▶ Ex119-1
  Chapter VII

Counterpoint for BeginnersC. H. Kitson, 1927

• Chapter VI. Two Parts in Fifth Species against the Canto Fermo · 81 playable examples

• Contents

  Introductory Note 9 Chapter I First Species 13 II Second Species 33 III Third Species 45 IV Fourth Species 61 V Fifth Species 70 VI Two Parts in Fifth Species against the Canto Fermo 78 VII Counterpoint in Triple Time 102 VIII Applied Technique 107

• Chapter II. Second Species

  (b) To the same basses add (i) a Soprano in Second Species, and Alto in First Species; (ii) a Soprano in First Species, and Alto or Tenor in Second Species.

  ▶ Fig. 134 nearby
• Chapter II. Second Species

  (d) To the same Soprano Canti Fermi add (i) Alto in First Species, Bass in Second Species, (ii) Alto in Second Species, Bass in First Species.

  ▶ Fig. 134 nearby
• Chapter III. Third Species

  The extra part in First Species serves to complete the harmony as far as possible. As the First Species in bar 1 will form a perfect concord with the C. F., the Third Species need not start with a perfect concord. This applies to all three-part work. The first…

  ▶ Fig. 173 nearby
• Chapter IV. Fourth Species

  the result is Fourth Species or Syncopation. Let it not be imagined, however, that any First Species can thus be turned into Fourth Species. The example was merely designed to do so for the purpose of explaining the nature of Fourth Species, e.g. syncopation.

  ▶ Fig. 196 nearby
• Chapter VI. Two Parts in Fifth Species against the Canto Fermo

  …number of students only need simple Counterpoint (e. g. all parts in the First Species except one) and Combined Florid (two or more parts in Fifth Species against the C.F.). In this chapter an attempt is made to give an adequate technique, without going…

  ▶ Fig. 262 nearby

66 more passages in Counterpoint for Beginners →

• ▶ Music example
  Chapter I. First Species
• ▶ C.F.
  Chapter I. First Species
• ▶ &c.
  Chapter II. Second Species
• ▶ C. F. / C. F. / C. F.
  Chapter II. Second Species
• ▶ C. F.
  Chapter III. Third Species
• ▶ Music example
  Chapter III. Third Species

Analysis of J. S. Bach’s Forty-Eight FuguesEbenezer Prout, 1910

• Fugue 12 · Book I, No. 12 · BWV 857

  …the treble and made the pattern for some free imitation in the alto, with a florid counterpoint in the bass. Episode 5 (bars 43 to 47) gives a new and more elaborate sequential treatment of the codetta with the addition of a fourth voice; all the other…

  ▶ Fig. 32 nearby
• Fugue 18 · Book I, No. 18 · BWV 863

  …of the subject. The employment of homophony, that is, of chords proceeding note against note in place of combined melodies, is remarkable in the first episode, being extremely rare in fugal writing.

  ▶ Fig. 47 nearby

• ▶ Complete score
  Fugue 12 · Book I, No. 12 · BWV 857
• ▶ Complete score
  Fugue 18 · Book I, No. 18 · BWV 863

Complete Method for Rhythmical ArticulationPasquale Bona, 1905