A Brief Manual for Species Counterpoint
Comprising 1st, 2nd, and 4th Species in 2 Parts
by Christian Asplund
Based on The Study of Counterpoint from Johann Joseph Fuxs Gradus Ad Parnassum, tr. and
ed. by Alfred Mann (Norton 1965)
and
CounterpointThe Polyphonic Vocal Style of the Sixteenth Century
by Knud Jeppesen
(Printed 3 January 2009)
I. Introduction
A. What is it and why study it?
1. Species counterpoint (also called Strict Counterpoint, Modal Counterpoint, 16th Century
Counterpoint) is a pedagogical method for learning how to compose, as well as a
musical-spiritual exercise refined and codified in Johann Joseph Fuxs (1660-1741)
highly influential treatise, Gradus ad Parnassum. The counterpoint section of this
treatise was based on the music the late renaissance masters, especially Palestrina (1525-
94).
2. Neither Palestrina nor any other renaissance composer used strict species counterpoint
either as a compositional or pedagogical tool. In this way, it is somewhat like 4 part
partwriting, which was developed as a pedagogical tool after the principles it described
had evolved.
B. Why study it?
3. Fuxs book became a foundation in the education of many composers of the 18th and 19th
centuries, including Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Brahms, and most of
the other 19th century masters. An understanding of, and a facility with, this method
greatly enhances ones understanding of the construction of most common practice music.
Moreover, it is an excellent preparation for composing in the common practice tonal
idiom, and more specifically partwriting. All of the principles of voice leading are
contained, in embryo, in species counterpoint.
4. Species counterpoint could also be viewed as a form of technical exercise in composition,
and in multiple dimensional hearing. Species counterpoint models in a distilled form one
of the most important aspects of musical skill, that is the ability to think and hear in
multiple dimensions. In species counterpoint we are forced to think about and hear the
horizontal motion of each individual line, simultaneously with thinking about and hearing
the convergence of the two lines. Each pitch decision (and they are almost all pitch
decisions) has a very clear impact on every other pitch in the exercise. This is the case
Species Counterpoint Page 2 of 5
with any composition, but species counterpoint allows a student to really focus on these
relationships because there is little to distract.
C. Modes
5. The pitch collection used in species counterpoint is the diatonic collection, or the white
keys of the piano. This collection of 7 pitch classes (CDEFGAB) are organized into the 4
liturgical modes (scales) of western medieval and renaissance music. In strict Fux
practice, these modes are usually not transposed, therefore no key signatures are used.
Palestrina used one transposition of the modes by using a key signature of one flat, thus
transposing each mode up a P4. Jeppesen suggests allowing this transposition in
counterpoint exercises. Accidentals are sometimes used, but only to inflect specific
pitches, not to modulate to a new key. Since all 6 modes use the same pitch collection,
they are defined by their first pitch class which is called the Final. The final serves
many of the same functions as the tonic in tonal music, and is usually the first, and
always the last pitch that is heard in a modal composition. Jeppesen suggests that
Palestrina always lowered the fourth scale step in Lydian, thus turning it into Ionian. He
thus, eliminates the Lydian mode from use.
Mode Final
Dorian D
Phrygian E
Lydian F
Mixolydian G
Aeolian A
Ionian C
D. Cantus Firmus and Counterpoint
6. In most species counterpoint exercises, the student is given a melody in whole notes in a
specific mode called a cantus firmus (literally, fixed song, cf) to which they must add a
harmonizing melody (a counterpoint, or cp). There are specific rules regarding the
formation of the cp itself as well as how the cp relates to the cf.
II. Rules for all Species
7. Fux gives 5 species of strict counterpoint based on increasing complexity of the rhythmic
texture. 1st species is note against note, 2nd is two against one, 3rd is 4 against one, 4th is a
syncopated texture, and 5th is free use of all the textures. Jeppesen adds a 6th species, which is
free composition in this idiom without a cf, generally using a text as a starting point.
E. Rules for melodic motion
8.
A melodic interval is the tonal space between two adjacent notes in a single voice.
9.
No skips larger than 5th
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10. Exceptions: Octaves and ascending m6. These must be preceded and followed by a
change in direction. m6 must be followed by descending m2.
11. No augmented or diminished, or chromatic intervals may be used melodically.
12. Melody should not outline a tritone and change direction immediately afterward.
13. Accidentals may be used to prevent melodic or harmonic tritones (i.e. Bb or F#), or other
augmented or diminished intervals, or to turn ascending M6s into ascending m6s.
14. No more than one skip in the same direction. Exceptions:
Two skips that form root position or second inversion major or minor triad
An ascending P5 followed by an ascending P4, and its inverstion, a descending P4
followed by a descending P5.
In Dorian mode only: the following idiom is allowed (numbers represent scale steps): 1
57, usually followed by 6.
Each of these idioms should almost always be followed by a change in direction.
15. First note of cp may be either 1st or 5th scale step if in upper voice, but may only be 1st
scale step if in lower voice (cf always begins and ends with 1st scale step).
16. Penultimate (2nd to last) note in cp must be 7th scale step. 7th scalestep in penultimate note
must be raised with a sharp in Dorian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian.
17. Last note in cf and cp must be Final (1st scale step).
18. Repeated notes are only allowed in 1st species (and 1st species type passages in 5th and 6th
species). 1st species exercises should contain a maximum of one repeated note.
19. Sequential melodic motion is not consistent with the modal aesthetic and should be
avoided.
20. There are several other important restrictions that apply to quarter notes (and smaller
durations) that will be discussed in the 3rd species chapter.
F. Rules for interaction between voices
21. A harmonic interval is a vertical interval, or the interval between two simultaneous
voices.
22. There are three types of harmonic intervals:
Perfect consonances: 1, 5, 8
Imperfect consonances: 3, 6
Dissonances: 2, 4, 7, diminished and augmented intervals
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23. There are four types of motion:
Oblique: one voice stationary, other voice moves
Similar: both voices move in same direction
Parallel: a subset of similar motion: voices move in same direction by same interval
Contrary: voices move in opposite directions
24. Contrary motion is generally preferred. Generally (not always) skips should be
complemented by steps in the other voice.
25. Never move by similar motion to a perfect consonance (1, 4, 5, 8). (An important
corollary: never move by parallel perfect intervals).
26. A harmonic unison or octave may not be approached by a melodic interval of more than a
3rd in either voice.
27. No more than 3 consecutive parallel intervals are allowed.
28. Bar number is written above each bar, harmonic interval number (not quality) is written
between staves in each bar. Intervals greater than 10 are written as their equivalent
compound.
III. 1st Species 1:1
29. Note against note, i.e. cp uses only whole notes.
30. No dissonant harmonic intervals. Note: d5s (i.e. B/F) can be turned into P5s by adding
a sharp to F or a flat to B.
31. No rests.
32. cp may use a maximum of one repeated note (i.e. in succession) in an exercise.
33. Unison may only be used on first and last bar. Octaves ok anywhere.
IV. 2nd Species 1:2
34. Cantus firmus is in whole notes. Counterpoint is in half notes. First half of measure is
called downbeat, second half upbeat.
35. Dissonances are allowed on upbeat only, but they must be approached (prepared) and
resolved (left) by steps in to and from consonance and both steps must be in the same
direction.
36. Counterpoint may begin with a half rest.
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37. Parallel 5ths or 8ves between successive downbeats cannot be hidden by skips of a
third. They can, however, be hidden by skips of larger intervals.
38. Penultimate measure: Downbeat must form a P5 with cf, upbeat must form a m3 or M6
(as before). i.e. if cp is in upper voice, penultimate measure should use the following
scale steps: 6-7. If cp is in lower voice, penultimate measure should contain 5-7.
Exception: in Phrygian, if cp is in lower voice, penultimate measure of cp should have
scale steps 4-7 (ascending by P4).
V. 4th Species - Syncopation
39. Cantus firmus is again in whole notes. Counterpoint is in half notes with upbeat tied to
downbeat, thus creating alternating attacks between the voices.
40. Counterpoint starts with a half rest and ends with a whole note.
41. Counterpoint can leave out one tie per exercise (in addition to the penultimate to final
bar). If the downbeat of the measure preceding the untied barline is consonant, its upbeat
(i.e. the untied upbeat) may be dissonant provided it is approached and left by step in the
same direction and is followed by a consonant downbeat.
42. Dissonances may occur only on the downbeat and must be resolved on the upbeat by the
counterpoint moving down by step.
43. These dissonances are called suspensions.
44. If cp in upper voice Fux allows the following suspensions: 2-1, 9-8, 4-3, 7-6. Jeppesen
only allows suspensions that resolve to imperfect consonances (3, 6, 10) in 2 part writing,
therefore he only allows 4-3 and 7-6.
45. You may not use more than one 2-1 or 9-8 suspension in succession (when they are
allowed).
46. If cp is in lower voice, the following suspensions are allowed: 2-3, 9-10, 4-5. Jeppesen
only allows suspensions that resolve to imperfect consonances (3, 6, 10) in 2 part writing,
therefore he only allows 2-3 and 9-10.
47. You may have no more than 3 of the same suspension type in succession (except for 2-1
or 9-8 which may not be repeated successively at all (see 45. above)).
48. The penultimate measure should contain the 7-6 suspension if cp is in the upper voice
and should contain the 2-3 or 9-10 suspension if the counterpoint is in the lower voice.
Thus the last three scale steps of the counterpoint (in either voice) should be 1 7 1.
