4 Approaches to Counterpoint - Music Composition

[@MusicMattersGB]

Learn Music Online - Check out our courses here! www.mmcourses.co.uk/courses

[@canman5060]

Great courses. I almost purchased everyone of them !

[@MusicMattersGB]

Hope you’ve enjoyed them.

[@hi-bs1jz]

As someone who struggles with music composition and theory, your videos have helped me a lot with my knowledge and my approach to music. Thank you so much for these insanely detailed guides!

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad they’re helpful

[@jayducharme]

Very helpful, thank you. I appreciate how you never assume that I know the terms you're using. You clearly explain every piece of the puzzle.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Thanks

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I watched this 3 weeks ago, and this has been my project for my piano lessons. My teacher is impressed with your writing, and he is encouraging me to use this to develop better technique.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great

[@franciscomagalhaes7457]

Thank you very much. This topic is one of my main headaches and you just helped me out a whole lot.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I'm not yet at this level, but I've followed your courses for over a year and this makes sense. You are a gifted teacher, Gareth. Merci.

[@MusicMattersGB]

You’re very kind

[@tobiasshklover2006]

An enlightening practical guide!

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad it’s helpful

[@guitargod6997]

Gareth presents potentially complex musical theory and practice in a lucid and info rich manner. Thanks!

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind

[@knd1986]

Wonderful lesson, super useful! This lesson is exactly what I am needing to prepare myself to write a Fugue based on a Subject taken from a lullaby folk song. Thank you very much Gareth! 😄

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great. See our webinar recording on writing fugue at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@fernandobeghetto2854]

Thank you, very inspirations! ❤😊

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@MarketGarden87]

Great stuff. Good stepping stones to doing great things with counterpoint

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@ahmada7846]

Very well explained! Thank you

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure

[@rutheproppi6265]

Maestro: Thank you much for doing it again. I will never get to that level but it is a wonderful to find someone that shares his genius with someone like me. You asked for suggestions in this video well, here is one from me, how about doing an analysis on Mozart. Just a suggestion please accept my appreciations. With respect and gratitude, R

[@MusicMattersGB]

Thanks very much. We have done some Mozart analysis but we’ll do more.

[@CalebePriester]

Wow! This is sure helpful, huh? I learned Bach's two parts invention number one and his counterpoint in that one is amazing. I play guitar so I can't play the two voices at the same time. I envy keyboard players, you guys can play all sorts of harmonies and melodies at the same time!

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@belindadrake5487]

WE DO!!! 😬Love this site. The guitar is my 2nd instrument. Keep on keeping on! 🎹🎸🫵🏾🌟

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@babylon4206]

3 Minuten in and learnd Something. I think we all have These ideas in Our head, but its great to hear it spoken Out. Give the Devils a Name. Thanks for your lesson

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure

[@sapiensfromterra5103]

Another good source besides this video is the book: "Nova Instructio" by Spiridionis, he takes basic cadences and sequences and elaborates them very similar to this video, in over 70 ways for each. It is an improv guide essencially but it equaly works as a "learning by observation and by doing" book. It is from the early baroque period...

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@sapiensfromterra5103]

@Stephen Bell Old hidden wisdom, I only know of it, because I am a harpsichord student who likes to go into anything other than just interperetation, so my teacher told me about this book^^

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@MrInterestingthings]

Spiridionis?

[@sapiensfromterra5103]

@@MrInterestingthings "Spiridionis a Monte Carmelo - Nova Instructio I" Look it really has some good ideas in it

[@PivasRox]

Very interesting content! In my life I've learned different aproaches in counterpoints, and It brought me brand news ideas. Thank you so much

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@Do-si]

super valuable thank you for your generosity

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@sunderdasika]

Wonderful video

[@MusicMattersGB]

Thank you

[@frankspears4597]

Very good explanation and ideas which should find their way in to my compositions!

[@MusicMattersGB]

Enjoy!

[@cesargomez9211]

Hi Gareth. This is great. Love your work and this channel! Keep it up. I have a critique to share: I feel this lesson falls more suitable as a rhythm/textural practice. If you notice, your last example in parallel motion is simply a textural reduction of music that moves by 16th notes. Having the bass and upper voice outline this rhythmic texture together is what makes it so attractive to the ear.

[@MusicMattersGB]

I completely agree that the rhythmic character is essential to the counterpoint

[@Sanchirowatanabe]

Thank you!

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure

[@bazilioarinda8468]

Thank you for the good work, it is really amazing.

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@abagatelle]

So very, very helpful. I'm having a go at writing a (small) piece in the style of a colliery brass band (Grimley!) and your advice will help me avoid aural cacophony - I hope...

[@MusicMattersGB]

Excellent. Hope it works out well.

[@IndritMesiti]

Wonderful explanation ! Thanks a lot

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure

[@canman5060]

I started with counterpoint before learning any formal music theory by trial and error on the keyboard !

[@MusicMattersGB]

Interesting starting point

[@matheusaugustodasilvasanto3171]

Any tips on writing counterpoint that can stand by itself as a melody? I imagine in this case it may be best to avoid oblique and parallel motion.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Good contrapuntal lines should always stand well as individual melodic lines. That’s part of the art of counterpoint. Lines with shape and direction, a balance of conjunct and disjunct movement, rhythmic character etc.

[@subschool5]

out of similar, contrary, and oblique.. do you think of one better or worse than the others? is there one you prefer if possible or are you not thinking this way at all? thank you

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s often effective to mix them within a piece

[@praddeeshm]

Sir how about you teaching species counterpoint?❤

[@MusicMattersGB]

Could do

[@praddeeshm]

@@MusicMattersGB 👏👏🤙🎁

[@MusicMattersGB]

@elankumaranband5273 😀

[@Dave-nm8uk]

Great video - thanks. Very helpful. Is it a lot harder to extend to more voices? Also the examples are based on two bar phrases. Presumably 3 or 4 bar phrases would also be possible, but do the LH and RH parts have to have the same phrase lengths? I suspect not - but it may make things simpler.

[@MusicMattersGB]

You can certainly extend the number of parts and length of phrases. Also it’s a great idea to overlap phrases between parts.

[@Cornissimodk]

Hi Gareth. Hope you are well. Thank you for these wonderful videos on KZbin. A bit of a technical question. - Would you mind sharing how you are making these videos? I have seen a progression over the 5 or so years that I have followed your channel, from a whiteboard and marker to a more or less 100% computer based setup now to the current digital sheet music and digital marker. What equipment/software are you using for your videos? on-screen keyboard, marker, recording setup aso. If you have explained it in an earlier video, I have missed it - in this case, please point me in the right direction. Thank you for your time. Thomas.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Hi, we do have a video coming out that gives a short guide to the technical setup but it's roughly as follows... Video - Panasonic GH5s camera for the video. Keyboard - Midi keyboard connected to computer that records the input into Synthesia piano app. Sheet music - Some scores are made in either Dorico or Staffpad. We also use Goodnotes on an iPad to highlight and annotate the scores. Editing - We use a program called Screenflow, and that has the four tracks in, Video, Keyboard, iPad Screen and External Microphone. Hope that helps.

[@theokatman]

great

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@BlackNightYuuki]

Using counterpoint to create sad and melodramatic, extreme heavy metal riffs at the moment. Hah!

[@MusicMattersGB]

Excellent

[@NoHealerJustPain]

I suppose the most part of classical guitar music sounds exactly like this, maybe with more arpeggio style involved and sparse "full" chords just here and there.

[@MusicMattersGB]

I can do depending on the style and texture

[@bobcosmic]

Ah yes the wonderful world of counterpoint. 1st species, 2nd, 3rd & etc etc

[@MusicMattersGB]

Indeed

[@vOddy75]

"You can't really live on a diet of imitation alone" What about canons? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@MusicMattersGB]

Excellent