Counterpoint and Voice Leading
Lines that work together.
Contrary Motion
- The idea
- In contrary motion two voices move in opposite directions.
- Try this
- Make the bass descend while the melody ascends.
- Example
- Bass C3–B2–A2 under melody C5–D5–E5: octave, tenth, twelfth.
Oblique Motion
- The idea
- In oblique motion one voice holds while the other moves.
- Try this
- Hold one voice on G while another moves C–D–E below it.
- Example
- Against the held G: fifth, fourth and then third.
Imitation
- The idea
- Imitation restates a melodic idea in another voice soon after it first appears.
- Try this
- Introduce a motif in the soprano and repeat it in the alto two beats later.
- Example
- Soprano C5–D5–E5–C5; alto enters two beats later with C4–D4–E4–C4.
- Listen for it
- Bach, Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772
Canon
- The idea
- A canon is strict imitation: a second voice copies the whole melody after a fixed delay.
- Try this
- Write a four-bar melody that still works when a copy enters one bar later.
- Example
- A round such as Frère Jacques: each voice enters with the same tune two bars after the last.
- Listen for it
- Pachelbel, Canon in D
Invertible Counterpoint
- The idea
- Invertible counterpoint is two lines written so either can be on top.
- Try this
- Design two lines that still work when you swap their registers.
- Example
- Keep to thirds, sixths and octaves. A fifth becomes a fourth when the lines swap, which sounds unstable.
- Listen for it
- Bach, The Art of Fugue, Contrapunctus 9
Suspension
- The idea
- A suspension holds a note from one chord into the next, where it clashes and then resolves down by step.
- Try this
- Prepare F in the chord before, hold it over a C chord and then resolve it to E.
- Example
- F major (F in the top voice) moves to C major. F holds (the 4) and falls to E (the 3): a 4–3 suspension.
Passing Tone
- The idea
- A passing tone connects two chord tones by step on a weak part of the beat.
- Try this
- Connect C and E with D on a weak subdivision.
- Example
- Over a C chord: C (beat 1), D (the “and”), E (beat 2).
Neighbor Tone
- The idea
- A neighbor tone steps away from a chord tone and back to it.
- Try this
- Decorate E with F without changing the harmony.
- Example
- Over a C chord: E–F–E. Upper neighbor F, lower neighbor D.
Anticipation
- The idea
- An anticipation sounds a note of the next chord before that chord arrives.
- Try this
- Let the melody reach a note of the next chord before the accompaniment changes.
- Example
- Moving from C to G: the melody plays B on the last eighth of the C bar and then holds B as G arrives.
Independent Voices
- The idea
- Contrapuntal independence gives each voice its own rhythm and direction.
- Try this
- Give two voices different rhythms and avoid long stretches of parallel motion.
- Example
- Upper voice rises E4–F4–G4–A4 in quarter notes. Lower voice falls C3–B2 in half notes. Strong beats meet on consonant thirds.
Other chapters: Motif and Melody · Rhythm and Meter · Harmony and Tonal Motion · Texture and Instrumentation · Form and Architecture · Expression and Narrative · Jazz and Contemporary · Electronic and Acoustic Design · Revision and Craft
Not every technique suits every style. Adapt it to your instrument and your music.
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