counterpoint concepts.pdf

(1)

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 

Let's begin with simple intervals of major and minor 3rds and their inversions.

Fmi7     Bbmi7      Eb7    AbMa7       8 9 6 6 6 6 4 6 6 3 5 4 4 5 3 4 5    DbMa7    G7     CMa7   _    4 1 3 2 3 4 2 3 3 5 2 5 2 0   9    Cmi7     Fmi7     Bb7      EbMa7     8 8 6 5 8 9 6 6 6 7 5 6 6 3 5 4 13    AbMa7      D7     GMa7          4 5 3 4 5 2 4 3 3 4 2 3 2 3  

(2)

   17   

Then we can add notes between the inverted intervals in one of the voices for rhythmic contrast. Some notes are scalar and some are chromatic.

Fmi7    _   Bbmi7       __ Eb7      AbMa7      _  8 9 8 11 6 8 6 6 4  6 4 6 3 6 5 4 6 4 5 3  4 3 21    DbMa7      G7       CMa7    _{ } _{  }    4 1 4 3 2 5 3 4 2  3 6 3 5 3 5 5 4 7 5 5 7 7 8 6 25    Cmi7         Fmi7     _  Bb7            EbMa7       _{    }_  8 8 6 7 4 5 7  8 9 8 6 6 5 6 4 6 7 3  5 6 6 4 2 3 5 6 3 4 3 6 2

(3)

29    AbMa7        D7    _{ }  GMa7          _ _     4 5 3 4 3 4 5 3 1 2 5 4 3 3 5 3 4 2 5 2 3 5 5 2 4 3 7   8 10 33    Ami7    _{ } _{ }D7   GMa7          7 10 8 10 7 10 7 7 0 9 7 10 109 7 9 8 10 7 7 9 10 7 10 37    F#mi7      B7         EMa7       C7        9 7 10 7 7 9 7 8 6  7 10 7 4 2 6 5 8 8 9 7  8 11 3

(4)

41    Fmi7         Bbmi7         __ __ Eb7      AbMa7            8 9 6 8 5 6 5 6 8 5 6 5 6 4 6 5 4 6 3 5 6 7 4 4 6 4 5 3  4 3 45    DbMa7        Dbmi7      Cmi-(AbMa)_      Abo         4 3 1 2 1 4 2 5 9 9 6  8 11 8 8  6  6 9 7 7  6  6 9 49       Bbmi7         Eb7_ __   AbMa  __ _Db7_  C7        6 6  6 8 9 6 9 10 13 11 11 12 11 10 13 11 9 12 10 8 9 7  8 6 4

(5)

53

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Gmi7

From the Bach lute suites, a beautiful II-V-I made from the simplest elements, a descending scale (from the 3rd) in quarter notes and ascending scale (from the root) in half notes.

   _{ }   C7  _ _  FMa7    _{ } BbMa7_      _  5 6 5 7 8 6 8 9 8  7 8 6 3 5 3 5 6 5 7 7 6  5 6 5 57    Emi7(b5)    _{ } _A7     Dmi    _{ }_ _{ } _D7_   7 8 6 8 5 7 5 6 5 4 5 3 5 6 5 7 7 6 8 7 7 9 10 8 61    Gmi7    _   C7       FMa7    _{ } BbMa7_      _  10 11 10 8 8 10 109 8  2 8 6 8 5 8 7 6 9 8 7 6  5 6 5 5

(6)

65    Emi7(b5)      _A7  __  Dmi        7 8 6 8 5 7 7 6 5 4 3 1 5 3 3 2 4 5 3 69    Gmi7    _    C7       FMa7       BbMa7      _  10 6 10 6 8 10 8 9 7  8 11 8 5 8 5 6 5 6 7 5  6 5 73    Emi7(b5)       A7         Dmi        7 8 6 6 5 7 5 6 4 5 3 6 5 3 3 2 4 5 3 6

(7)

77    Gmi7    _{  } C7_{   } FMa7      BbMa7_{   }   6 10 8 10 9 6 10 9 8 6  5 8 6 9 7 5 8 7 6 5 81     Emi7(b5)     A7    Dmi  _{ }_{ }  A7       Dmi    3 6 5 7 6 3 7 6 5 8 9 6 8 7 5 7 4 5 6 8 7 5 3   85    Emi7(b5)

In case you thought we forgot the B section

     A7     Dmi           Emi7(b5) 5 7 8 7 A7 6 5 5 7 5 Dmi 6 5 7 5 46 6 5 6 7

(8)

89    Gmi7      C7    _  FMa7_  _{ } BbMa7      _  8 8 7 5 8 8 5 7 8 6 8 5 8 7 6 9 6 7 5 6 5 93    Emi7(b5)       A7            Dmi7   G7      _ Cmi7      _ F7       _{ }_  7  5 7 6 5 8 7 8 6 5 3 6 5  4 5 3 5 3 5 6 5 3 5 2 3 4 3 3 1 1 3 4 3 1 3 2 6 5 6 97    Dmi(4-3)   Emi7(b5)  BbMa7   A7 E7   A7 _  Dmi     _  A7          Dmi         57 8 6 6 7 6 5 7 6 5 3 5 5 2 7 3 3 5 3  3 5 5 7 6 5 7  6 8 8 0 7 6 6 5  9 9 10 10 0 6 10  8

(9)

102

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Lets take a look at simple melodic embellishment of a triad. The most common and easy to hear are chromatic from below, scale from above

CMA  _ _      _  _  107                          113 

Here are the guide tones for II-V-I.

This phrase is simply 3rd, 7th, 3rd. 7th. 3rd.

                

Dmi7 _G7 _CMa

The third is approached chromatically from below in this and the next example

Dmi7 G7 CMa7

116

            

120



Here two chromatic notes apprach the third.

Dmi7 G7

        CMa7

Here the 3rds are approached by scale steps from above.

Dmi7 G7

    _    CMa7

(10)

124



Here are the guide tones for a common turnaround II-V-I-VI-II-V-I

Dmi7   G7_{ } CMa7  A7    Dmi7   G7_{ } CMa 128 

The guide tones with chromatic notes from below.

Dmi7 G7         CMa7 A7         Dmi7 G7         CMa7 132 

And in this one, scale steps from above.

Dmi7 G7

    _    CMa7   __A7   Dmi7    G7_    CMa7

(11)

136

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The following two lines are the basis of many of the progressions we often hear in the blues, in church music, and in popular music. You start home, you leave home, you arrive somewhere, then return home. Harmonically, both lines imply a progression starting from I (home) and going to IV by way of the I dominant 7 (V of IV). The return home can be seen as:

IV- IVminor in the descending line, and IV- I diminished- I in the ascending one.

CMa

 C7 _F _Fmi_ _C G7_ _C

140



This line follows the voice leading of chord above progression.

 _                        144  CMa  C7   FMa   C0 CMa Dmi7 Co _  CMa      _ 11

(12)

148

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 

This line follows the chords written above. You might recognize the last four bars of "I Got Rhythm" changes.

                           7 5 5 7 8 5 8 5 6 5 7 9 10 8 10 7 8 9 10 7 10 8 9 10 10  152   

Often the line or the voice leading is says more than the symbol. The symbol comes with lots of baggage. The line is direct.

 _   _ _ _  55 89 107 6 7 5 8 8 7 7 8 156   

This cliche ending cadence is an example of this progression.

      3    3     3        8 8 2 11 8 11 3 8 10 8 10 3 9 9 8 9 3 10 8 10 67 58 58 12

(13)

160

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 

Here is a progression (home, leaving home,etc...) in minor. Observe the individual voices moving in each of the inversions.

  __ __ _ __ _ _ _  10 7 10 9 7 9 8 7 9 7 5 7 6 5 7 5 5 7 5 5 6 5 3 7 164       _  _ _ _  1214 13 11 14 12 10 14 12 9 12 10 8 12 10 7 12 10 7 12 9 7 10 10 168        _     5 7 3 5 6 2 5 5 2 3 4 0 3 3 0 3 2 0 3 2 4 1 2 0 13

(14)

172

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 

G7

Here are a few exercizes to work with through the cycle of fifths. The first is from Bach. The next is from Jimmy Wyble. I have forgotten from where I stole the others.

   _  C7   _    F7    __  Bb7    _      10 7  8 10 8 7 8  8 8 6 8 5  6 8 6 5 6  6 6 4 176    Eb7    __  Ab7    _     Db7    __  Gb7     _   etc...    6 8  4 6 4 3 4  4 4 2 4 1  2 4 2 1 2  2 2 etc... 0 180    G7        C7        F7      Bb7      Eb7      Ab7    etc...    10 9  9 10 10 8 7 7 8 8 8 7  7 8 8 6 5 5 6 6 6 5  5 6 6 4 3 3 4 etc... 4 14

(15)

186    G7    _{ } C7     F7    _{ }_ Bb7       Eb7      Ab7      __etc...  10 7 10 9 8 10 8 9 7 8 6 8 5 8 7 6 8 6 7 5 6 4 6 3 6 5 4 6 4 5 3 4 etc... 2 192    G7     C7   _{ }_ F7_{ }   _{   }Bb7 Eb7     Ab7    etc...    54 3 9 8 10 109 7 7 10 8 8 7 5 7 6 8 8 7 5 5 8 6 6 5 3 5 4 6 6 5 8 3 6 etc... 4 198   

And some ii-V's

Gmi7    _{ } C7       Fmi7    _{ }_ Bb7       Ebmi7     _{  }_ Ab7      etc...    10 11 10 8 8 10 8 5 7  8 6 8 9 8 6 6 8 6 3 5  6 4 6 7 6 4 4 6 4 5 3  4 etc... 2 15