Counterpoint
The art of combining two or more independent melodic lines simultaneously.
Category
composition
Pronunciation
KOWN-ter-point
Origin
Latin (contrapunctus, note against note)
Length
129 words · 1 min read
About Counterpoint
Counterpoint is the technique of writing multiple voices that are melodically independent yet harmonically interdependent. Developed extensively in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, counterpoint follows rules governing consonance, dissonance, voice leading, and rhythmic independence.
More composition terms
Transpose
View all compositionterms →To shift an entire piece or passage to a different key while keeping all intervals between notes the same
ArrangementAn adaptation of a musical composition for different instruments or voices than originally intended
Twelve-Tone TechniqueA method of composition that treats all twelve chromatic pitches as equal, ordering them into a fixed row that governs the entire work.
CompositionThe art and craft of creating original music by organising sounds, rhythms, and harmonies into a structured work.
CanonA contrapuntal composition in which a melody is imitated exactly by one or more voices entering in succession.
Synonyms
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