Third Species Counterpoint Rules

Evening Division Review for Dec. 2 Project

Rhythm= four quarter notes against each whole note in the cantus firmus.
o Beat 1 is strongest; Beats 2 and 4 are weak; Beat 3 is relatively strong but may contain a
dissonance that is treated properly.
Beginning the exercise:
o Use four quarter-notes in the first measure.
o Begin on an octave (8) or a fifth (5) above the cantus firmus.
Ending the exercise:
o The final measure will contain one whole note.
o The penultimate measure will contain four quarter-notesusually, a double-neighbor
figure that decorates the leading tone.
(Remember to raise the leading tone in minor!)
Dissonances
o Passing tone (may occur on beats 2, 3, or 4; beats 2 and 4 are best)
o Neighbor note (may occur on beats 2, 3, or 4.)
Upper neighbor (must be complete, best on weak beats)
Lower neighbor (must be complete, best on weak beats)
Double neighbor (four-note figure)
Either the upper or lower neighbor may come first.
After the double-neighbor figure, continue in the same direction of the
last two tones, by step.
Must begin on beat 1, so that a single tone (in the counterpoint) and
single interval (vertically, between the cantus and counterpoint) is
decorated within the measure.
o *Nota Cambiata*
Begin on beat 1. Use the intervallic progression 8-7-5-6, in which beat 3 is
consonant (5th).
Embellishing tone
o Decorates a tone with non-stepwise motion (usually the interval of a 3rd).
o Must be consonant.
o Leap must not be too large, so as not to isolate the decorative tone.
No parallel 5ths or 8ths
o Unisons may occur only on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th beats (never the 1st beat), but for now I
recommend that you use no unisons.
o Octaves and fifths on consecutive downbeats (i.e. 8, 8 or 5, 5) are okay.
Climax should occur on strong beat (i.e. 1st or 3rd beat).
o *Note well: this we did not discuss in class*: you may decorate the climax tone with a
neighbor note (this is allowed because the ear hears the climax being embellished).