Composing counterpoint

How to learn composing counterpoint

Use Counterpoint exercise builder to learn composing counterpoint

It is recommended to start with 2 voices:

• Compose in first species
• Compose in second species
• Compose in third species
• Compose in forth species
• Compose in fifth species

For each species:

• Start with shorter cantus, then compose with longer.
• Start with cantus firmus in lower voice, then compose with cantus firmus in higher voice.
• First start with C major key, then try other major keys. After that compose in A minor key, then try other minor keys.
• Start with 4/4 time signature, then try 3/4, 5/4 and other.
• Compose counterpoint exercises for different combinations of vocal ranges (soprano-alto, alto-tenor, teno-bass and other).

After that move to 3 voices and 4 voices.

If you cannot use counterpoint exercise builder, here is a collection of cantus firmus that you can use to compose. Each cantus firmus can be used in any of species, keys and time signatures:

Recommendations

Learn how to compose a first species counterpoint:

• http://openmusictheory.com/firstSpecies.html
• http://openmusictheory.com/thirdSpecies.html
• http://www.ars-nova.com/CounterpointStudy/writefirstspecies.html

Some known books about Counterpoint:

• Noel-Gallon / Bitsch Marcel - Traité de Contrepoint (french) (english, edited) (russian)
• Charles Koechlin - Precis des Regles du Contrepoint (french)
• Танеев - Подвижной контрапункт строгого письма (russian)

Examples of counterpoint

Please find examples in Examples section and in book above: Noel-Gallon / Bitsch Marcel - Traité de Contrepoint