Lesson 3

 Counterpoint part 3

In Lesson 3 were talked about three forms of speciesin music. first, second and third species.
First species ratio form is 1:1 where each note is a whole note through out the cantus firmus. Second Species ratio is 2:1 where each note is a half note or 2 half notes in each bar. Third species ratio is 4:1 where there is each quiater note or beat in each bar. 
When reading or creating a cantus firmus you must always be constance and dissonace. 
Constance is when two notes sound good playing together and dissonance is the clash between two notes making them sound terrible.
In those kinds of music you have passing notes and neighbour. Passing notes are notes that are move stepwise and neighbour notes that move toone chord and comes back to the tonic.
Constance notes are on the accented beat and dissonace is on the unaccented.

This is an example of what a first species music would look like. In each bar there are whole notes.

This is a second species showing the hallf notes. The two half notes make up 4 counts , and with these notes there can even be a suspension when being played.

There are rules we must follow when dealing with a cantus firmus. This video gives a concept of what we should look out for when dealing with second species.

Looking at the music sheet ou can think you understnad what constance and dissonace is but there is mroe things you need to look out for when trying to mkae a cantus firmus. Watching this video helped me a little bit more in identifying those two forms.

Counterpoint 5

 Counterpoint 5

We must not forget what the a counterpoint is. Counterpoint is when two voices or lines are combined together to make a harmony. In lesson 5 for counterpoint we learned about dissoance and chordale music.

Chordale music is a piece of musci taht does not have 2 lines but 4 lines.

Those 4 lines are the alto, soprano, tenor and bass.

Each line has its own notes and melody and harmony.

Constance intervals are played 

and dissonance intervals 

This is a music sheet of what a chordale music would look like.

Watching this video it gives you an idea of how each person should follow along and read what they are suppose to sing.Many tines we just go with the lines that look comfortable to youbut it is not.

By readinga dn understanding how to read those lines we are able to sound constance adn dissonace in the music when we play or sing it. This is  a exaomle of a choir singing using 4 lines and each section taking charge of their lines.

My song to play.

 Counter Point 4

Todays topic was about fourth species in music and suspension.

a ratio to determine fourth species is 4:1 whihc is similar to third species but their difference would be taht fourth has suspernsions and third does not.

A suspension in music is the dissonance that responds or be played to a strong beat in a music.

This picture shows the steps of how to start and end a suspension. It begins with the preparation the starting note whihc should ne constance and then moves on to the suspension whih should be dissonance and then end on the resolution which is constance.

This is an example of fourth species with the sispension on the strong beat.

This is a video showing you the details of what each section of the suspension chord means and what they should sound like when being played.

In the video it shows you the different areas of counterpoint as in fourth species and suspension. It shows the diferent steps of a suspension chord.

( NOT COMPLETED) 

Lesson 1 Counterpoint

 Intro to Counterpoint

This week we started to learn a a new topic which was called Counterpoint.

In music the word counterpoint means  the relationship between two or more musical lines which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. In other words it means two lines or voices played harmonically together. 

In Counterpoint they also talk about Cantus Firmus. Cantus Firmus refers to a fixed melody or existing melody. 

In a cantus firmus there are rules you have to make sure you follow. 

First Species counterpoint consists of consonant intervals such as ( P1, P5, P8, M6, m6, M3, and m3). 

This photo shows an example of a cantus firmus and you can see that some of the notes are step wise motion.  They also have perfect, minor and major intervals in there. 

It shows the possible consonance intervals that the music noted can be performed. It stared out as an octave intervals and ended as an octave interval, also has a leading tone on the 6th interval. 

Here is a break down of what really is counterpoint in music. It also shows you where the voices are being played or sung in a music.

One of the great composers by the name of  Johann Sebastian Bach composed a piece by the name of  Invention No. 8 in F Major which became one of his famous pieces.

This piece of music is an example of counterpoint music played in two voices.

Lesson 2

 Counterpoint part 2

As we contiuned on with our lessons we advanced by learning first species and different type of intervals.

We read the two types of voices. By reading over the upper and lower voices we are able to determine the different types of motion and intervals. 

When deadling with counterpoint intervals there are two types: constance and dissonace.

( needsto be finished)