Two-part guidelinesTwo-part guidelineshttp://benleedscarson.com/two-part-guidelines/2009-05-18T11:50:07ZSquarespaceMaintain Separateness and Complementarity of Rhythmhttp://benleedscarson.com/two-part-guidelines/2009/4/3/maintain-separateness-and-complementarity-of-rhythm.htmlBen Carson2009-04-03T16:11:52Z2009-04-03T16:11:52Z1. Do not halt motion in both voices at the same time except at strong, conclusive cadences.


2. Although “halting on weak beats” should be avoided (see well-formedness guidelines on rhythm)—it is ok to halt in one voice while another carries the motion, in order to maintain the rhythmic separateness of voices

3. Make sure each phrase has a good balance of oblique, contrary, and parallel motion.

4. It’s ok for the voices occasionally to move in similar rhythm in order to provide contrast or relief from their constant separateness: the goal of this guideline is to produce overall separateness, not constant separateness.

 

]]>Sufficient Similarity of Character and Stylehttp://benleedscarson.com/two-part-guidelines/2009/4/3/sufficient-similarity-of-character-and-style.htmlBen Carson2009-04-03T16:11:17Z2009-04-03T16:11:17Z1. Generalize the note values and rhythm-types (dotted values, triplets, etc.) used in one voice, and make sure they are used in the other.
2. Reduce, re-use, recycle: distinctive rhythmic cells should not be too great in number or too various. Re-use and recycle them in the second voice if they occur in the first.
3. Pay attention to other aspects of style and make sure the voices don’t contradict – (but this guideline is 90% accomplished simply by maintaining clear harmonic and melodic progression as per the well-formedness guidelines!)

]]>Voice Independencehttp://benleedscarson.com/two-part-guidelines/2009/4/3/voice-independence.htmlBen Carson2009-04-03T16:05:59Z2009-04-03T16:05:59ZGuidelines for Two-Voice Writing [ back to calendar & assignments ] [ back to MAIN PAGE]

Adapted from C.P.E. Bach (Essay on the True Art of Keyboard Playing), Reicha (Treatise on Melody: 1813), and Kennan (Counterpoint: 1999) by B. Carson

I. Voice Independence —

A. Perfect intervals should be

  • avoided on strong beats, except
  1. when 2-voice arpeggiations suggest a multi-voice texture
  2. at the beginning of the phrase, or at cadences
  3. when P4 suggests K64
  4. when P4 acts as a dissonance (suspension)
  • avoided in succession at any level of metric structure, except
  1. when 2-voice arpeggiations suggest a multi-voice texture
  2. successive P5-P8 or P8-P5 is OK in conventional cadences
  3. when establishing a stable key, with an ‘annunciatory’ motive
  4. on the weak beats of successive bars or weak subdivisions of successive beats (especially in sequences, but only when all other guidelines are followed).
  • approached by oblique or contrary motion, except
  1. when 2-voice arpeggiations suggest a multi-voice texture
  2. direct motion P5-P8 or P8-P5 is OK in conventional cadences
  3. in sequences, on weak beats, when all other guidelines are followed
  • approached by stepwise motion in at least one voice, except
  1. when 2-voice arpeggiations suggest a multi-voice texture
  2. in sequences, on weak beats, when all other guidelines are followed



B. Dissonances should be

  • resolved by step, even if not right away
  • resolved to a note that clarifies the harmony, even if not right away
  • approached by oblique or contrary motion
  • in fulfillment of one of the non-chord tone types: N (neighbor), A (appogiatura), E (escape tone), P (passing tone), S (suspension), or R (retardation).


C. Produce a structure dominated by imperfect consonances

  • avoid patterns of perfect intervals followed by dissonances
  • use imperfect consonances to “mediate” the difference between perfect consonances and dissonances

 

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