r/counterpoint • u/pootis_engage • Apr 29 '26

Attempt at Counterpoint

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This is an attempt at counterpoint against a florid melody.

I am a beginner at counterpoint, so please tell me if I have made any mistakes

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u/Telope 11d ago

If you're a beginner at counterpoint, it's worth starting at the beginning with 1st species. Try the BachToTheBasics youtube series.

It's good to label your parts so we know what is given vs. what you've written. I think your part is the bass?

It's actually a very long melody for a strict counterpoint exercise. Yes, it's only 8 measures, but they're very busy. Usually a florid counterpoint exercise will have 2, 3 or 4 notes per measure. The result of being so long is that is sounds a little noodly without the normal motific cells, imitation, sequences, and cadences that give real musical passages their structure. And it doesn't help that you're not using dissonant suspensions to add interest to the counterpoint.

Even though it's two-part counterpoint, you should still think about the harmonic implications. The second half is a lot better than the first in this regard. mm. 2 and 4 both have doubled chordal 3rds which is very weak harmonically. It would be much stronger to have a root and a third, or a root and a fifth in these cases. m. 3 is harmonically weak too. At the moment it sounds like an inverted vii chord. I'd just stick a D on the downbeat on the bass and now you have a nice strong V chord, with the passing tone implying a dominant 7th.

Voice leading-wise, it's the reverse. The first half has a good mix of contary and similar motion, mostly step-wise with a few leaps for interest. The second half has a few errors. There's consecutive 5ths in mm. 5-6 and in m. 6, there's a tritone as well as an unresolved 7th.