Suggested Learning Resources
http://legacy.earlham.edu/~tobeyfo/musictheory/Book1/FFH1_CH2/2I_Second_Species_Countertpoint.html
- The first note of a measure in second species counterpoint is considered
the down beat (strong note), and the second note is considered the off beat (weak
note) (strong and weak in this sense does not mean strong and weak counterpoint)
- All first species rules and guidelines should be applied to the first
note of each measure in second species counterpoint
- The following second species counterpoint rules should not be broken
- o All first species rules as applied to the first note of the counterpoint measure
- o There should be no parallel 5ths or octaves on contrary 5ths or octaves from
down beat to down beat.
- o Approaches to any octave or harmonic 5th should not create hidden octaves
- o An augmented fourth or diminished 5th may appear, but only on the offbeats and
must resolve correctly (A4 to 6 by step… or d5 to 3 by step)
- In second species counterpoint, the following guidelines may be broken
in some cases, but the result is a weaker sense of counterpoint
- o Notes on the off beat may form harmonic 2, 4, 7, or 9… but they must be prepared
and resolved by step. The preparation and resolution harmonic intervals should be
consonants)
- o The final measure should consist of whole notes in both voices.
- o The final two measure harmonic intervals should be 5-6-8 or 5-3-8 or (3-u or
6-8 if the final two measures consist only of whole notes)
- o While certain dissonant harmonic intervals are allowed on the offbeats, dissonant
melodic intervals, other than seconds, are still not allowed
- o Melodic skips or leaps in the counterpoint line should occur only within the
measure and should not take place over the barline from measure to measure
- o Second species counterpoint should include some dissonant passing or neighbor
tones (passing tones are considered strong counterpoint than neighbor tones)
- o You should not have more than two perfect consonants (P5 to P8) from downbeat
to down beat in a row
- o You should not have any accidentals other than the raised 6 and 7 when in a minor
key
- o Other than the starting and ending notes, unisons should be present only on the
offbeat and are left by motion contrary to their approach.
- o Any immediate repetition of the same note is considered a weakness
https://youtu.be/BkElhaZBqLQ
Objective 12.3: Identify strengths and weaknesses of second species counterpoint