Countermelody , counterpoint what is it ?

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10ndaYii

Estoy humanos amigos !
Are they the same and what is an example of each ?
 
Counter-melody may or may not be counterpoint.

Differences are:

In counterpoint you work through what are known as species of counterpoint: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th. Each species or more decorative, having more notes played per note in the main melody, until you finally get to 5th species which is essentially free-form. An example is Pachebel's Canon and Fugue in D major

Counter melody, on the other hand, is more about providing a melody that supports the main melody or counters it, when the main melody has lots of the notes, the counter-melody has very few notes and vice versa. This is more like the call-and-response approach to singing and prayer - the leader calls the melody and words, the congregation (or band) responds with the same words but maybe a different melody. Think Big Band Jazz, like In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade and even Play That Funky Music

[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/counterMelodyExamples.mp3[/mp3]

In each of these there is a main melody that answered by another group of instruments

In play that funky music the main melody is the vocal and the brass provide a response every 4 bars.
 
Okae but about the species you mentioned can you explain them further
 
Species 1
Note against Note​
Species 2
2 notes for every note​
Species 3
4 notes for every note​
Species 4
Syncopation, suspensions, using 2 notes against 1 note​
Species 5
All of the above​

Depending on the author, the expectation is that the melody consists of single time unit (i.e. all whole notes or all half notes, etc) and the counterpoint/counter-melody is to be written above or below the melody. Some examples will help to understand:

Species 1 ~ Note against note

[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/species-01.mp3[/mp3]

species-1.png


Species 2 ~ 2 Notes against 1 note

[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/species-02.mp3[/mp3]

species-2.png


Species 3 ~ 4 Notes against 1 note

[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/species-03.mp3[/mp3]

species-3.png


Species 4 ~ Syncopated Notes against 1 note

[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/species-04.mp3[/mp3]

species-4.png


Species 1 - 4 together

I have lowered the individual lines to better fit a full spectrum: The bassoon is playing the 2 octaves below how it was first presented and the Horn is playing the line 1 octave below.

[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/species-all.mp3[/mp3]

species-all.png


There are many rules (dos and don'ts) about how to write good counterpoint, so many that many people have written books on the subject (but not me :)). They include discussion on how to prepare dissonances (non-chord notes) and the application of the rules to melody writing and composition in general. They also cover several melodic devices - units of melodic content - and how they should and shouldn't be used.

The rules are easily summarised into 2 or 3 pages and form the basis of most advice given about voice leading (individual lines in chordal harmony).

I may post this at a later date.
 
Last edited:
gracias, audio links fixed now (does not pay to copy and paste image links and remake them as audio links without changing the file type)
 
I really appreciate this tutorial bandcoach! I haven't study chords or music theory but, this tutorial makes so much sense to me. Thank you. BTW, do you have a website?

Kycks
 
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