(part 17 of 20)
Counterpoint
Writing fugues, cannons, and other contrapuntal types of music should only be attempted once they can be played. Having the ability to improvise in free counterpoint is also very important. It’s crucial to thoroughly internalize contrapuntal elements so that the ear is always the guide.
Bach was a master at composing using these techniques, but not because he read text books on theory and counterpoint like we have today (most of our text books are heavily based on analysis of his music). He mastered these techniques by learning to play counterpoint and improvise it. He could fluently improvise three-part fugues and canons! Just as we breathe air, he breathed counterpoint.
Start by playing a few famous rounds (Three Blind Mice), and maybe try composing one. Compose a few simple pieces in free counterpoint; this is an important early step. Next, play some of Bach’s Two-Part Inventions, then try composing a couple. Several little fugues could be next, then a more substantial fugue, and perhaps eventually a canon.
Having written a good number of successful preludes will really bear fruit when composing in counterpoint, as the overlapping melodies shift harmonically, and modulate through various keys.
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Index
- Introduction
- Why Piano?
- Improvisation:
- Notation:
- Related Skills/Knowledge:
- Composition: