The "Counterpoint Game" – Cantus Firmus, Part 2: Tempo, Direction, Conjunct vs. Disjunct, Skips and Leaps
As suggested by musicologist Peter Schubert (referenced below), whole notes mark the downbeats of the cantus firmus. In our counterpoint exercises, whole notes represent the basic pulse. In this game, the whole notes move along at 60 to 80 bpm.
Don’t forget! Each whole note of the CF represents a DOWNBEAT, regardless of how many there are in a bar – in fact, there may not be ANY bar lines at all! Eventually, counterpoint lines of shorter note values will be added and synchronized to the whole notes of the CF. For example:
Every cantus firmus has a high point, an unrepeated climax. That single highest tone functions both as a goal to ascend to, and the start of a descending curve back to the tonic. (And btw, the answer to the multiple choice question is “c) 11.”)
Conjunctive versus Disjunctive Motion
The current example features mostly “conjunct” motion, which means “stepwise” motion. In this CF, there are two skips, and a single leap of a P4. The rest of the line walks along on adjacent scale degrees. [...]
(Watch complete video below)
REFERENCES CONSULTED
Salzer, Felix and Carl Schachter. Counterpoint in Composition: The Study of Voice Leading, pp. 3-12. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1969.
Mann, Alfred. The Study of Counterpoint, from Johann Joseph Fux’s Gradus ad Parnassum. New York: Norton, 1965.
Schubert, Peter. Modal Counterpoint, Renaissance Style, First Edition, p. 18. New York: Oxford, 1999.
Jeppesen, Knud. Counterpoint: The Polyphonic Vocal Style of the Sixteenth Century. New York: Dover, 1992.
CREDITS
Gradus ad Parnassum, by Johann Joseph Fux, (reprint of original Latin edition, pp. 94, 92, 110. Public Domain work, published in 1725
FLICKR IMAGE CREDITS, in Order of Appearance:
Spice jar labels, by Ben Ramirez: https://flic.kr/p/7Amfpu
Island, by Hector Garcia: https://flic.kr/p/JtG3w