Species Counterpoint Laws The Hard Rules

Brian Hanson

 

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Species Counterpoint Laws: The Hard Rules

General Rules:

• Each species counterpoint must begin and end with a perfect consonance between the cantus firmus and the counterpoint. The beginning must start with a unison, octave, or perfect fifth. The cadence must use a unison or octave.

• Only natural notes should be used, with the exception of Bb, which is used to avoid the tritone. In the following modes (Dorian, Phrygian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian), the 7th scale degree should be raised a half-step to function as a leading tone in the cadence.

• With the exception of the octave, skips larger than a sixth should not be used. • Skips of augmented and diminished intervals should not be used. • The interval from the high point to the low point of the counterpoint cannot be an augmented

fourth, and a diminished fifth must be followed by a step in the opposite direction and completely filled in.

• Stepwise motion should be used more frequently than leaps. • Skips of a major sixth should be avoided, and descending minor sixths should be avoided as well. • Avoid skipping to the high point or low point of the counterpoint. • A skip of a fifth or greater must be followed by a step in the opposite direction. • Do not use more than two skips in succession, unless the tonic triad is being outlined. • Bb’s should be followed by descending motion. • The distance between the counterpoint and the cantus firmus should not exceed a twelfth.

First Species: (one : one)

• All downbeats must be consonant (3,5,6,8). No dissonant (2,4,7) intervals! • Parallel fifths and octaves must be avoided. • Similar motion to perfect intervals (5,8) must be avoided. • Repeated notes are allowed, but they may not occur against repeated notes in the canctus firmus. • Parallel motion of consonant intervals (3,6) may last for a maximum of three notes. • Perfect intervals should be reserved for the beginning and cadential material. • Two perfect intervals used in succession should be avoided.

Second Species: (two : one) (Previous applicable rules still apply)

• The upbeat (weak beat) note may be dissonant (2,4,7), if it is functioning as a passing tone. • Perfect intervals can be used on two successive downbeats, if the weak beat note creates contrary

motion to the second downbeat. • The counterpoint may begin with a rest on the downbeat.

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• Skips from the downbeat to the upbeat are allowed, if they are consonant. NO skips to or from dissonance intervals.

• Repeated notes are not allowed between the downbeat and the upbeat of the same measure, except in the case of an octave leap.

Third Species: (four : one) (Previous applicable rules still apply)

• The first and third beats must be consonant. The third beat may be dissonant, if it is a part of a descending or ascending scale that has consonant intervals on the first, second, and fourth beats.

• The second and fourth beats may be dissonant, if they are functioning as passing tones or lower neighbors. Upper neighbors should be avoided.

• The high point should not be on a weak beat. • Skipping up to a weak beat should be avoided. Skips from the weak beat are allowed, if they are

consonant. • The same neighbor note should not be used twice in a row. • A skip from a dissonant interval on the second beat may be allowed in the case of a cambiata. If the

counterpoint is in the top voice, the following cambiatas may be used (8-7-5-6) or (6-d5-3-4). If the counterpoint is in the lower voice, the following cambiata may be used (3-4-6-5).

• Skips to or from dissonant intervals may occur in the case of a double neighbor, which starts on the downbeat and consists of four beats. The following double neighbors may be used (6-5-7-6) or (6-7-5-6).

Fourth Species: (two : one) (Previous applicable rules still apply) In fourth species counterpoint, half notes on the third beat are tied to a half note on the downbeat of the next bar (labeled as syncopated whole notes). These syncopated whole notes create a continuity of rhythmic dissonance. Rules from second species counterpoint apply, but under specific guidelines, dissonance may appear on the downbeat.

• Dissonance may appear on the downbeat, if it apart of a syncopated whole note. The first half note of the syncopated whole note must be consonant (3,5,6,8), and the dissonance MUST be followed by a stepwise descent to an imperfect consonance (3,6). If the second half note of the syncopated whole note is consonant, it can be followed by a leap or step, in any direction, but the following note must be consonant.

• There may be no more than three repetitions of a single sequential suspension. • Second species counterpoint may be used to break the chain of suspensions, but a dissonant

suspension must be resolved down a step to an imperfect consonance before second species counterpoint can be used.

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• If the counterpoint is above the cantus firmus, only 7 – 6 and 4 – 3 suspensions may be used. In 4 – 3 suspensions, the fourth should be perfect (augmented 4 – 3 suspensions should be avoided). 9 – 8 suspensions should be avoided.

• If the counterpoint is below the cantus firmus, only 2 – 3 suspensions may be used. • Second species should be used as little as possible in fourth species counterpoint, and dissonant

suspensions should be used more frequently than consonant suspensions.

Fifth Species: (florid counterpoint) (Previous applicable rules still apply) Fifth species counterpoint is a free combination of the first four species. As a result, when using a specific species counterpoint, all the rules from that species still apply. In fifth species counterpoint, the combination of different species must follow the specific guidelines listed below.

• Eighth notes may be used (only in pairs) on the weak quarters (beats two and four). The eighth note pairs must be used in stepwise passing motion (ascending or descending), or it can be used as lower neighbors. Upper neighbors should be avoided, and neither eighth note can be approached or left by a skip. Only one pair of eighth notes should be used per measure.

• If two quarter notes are preceded by a consonant half note on the downbeat, the first quarter notes may be dissonant, if the second quarter note and preceded half note is consonant.

• If a half note follows two quarter notes on the downbeat, it must be consonant. • Avoid ties from weak quarters. Only syncopated whole notes should be used. • A whole note may be tied to a half note. If the half note is dissonant, it must be treated as a

dissonant suspension as in fourth species counterpoint. If the half note is consonant, it may be followed by a dissonant half note, if it is functioning as a passing tone as in second species counterpoint.

• A half note may be tied to a quarter note, if it is on the downbeat or the third beat (the second half note). BOTH the half note and quarter note must be consonant.

• NEVER tie from a short note length to a long note length. • First species counterpoint should be reserved for beginning and cadential material. • The resolution of a dissonant suspension should last a half note (Don’t use the resolution of a

suspension to break into a new species).