TCM 2-2

the general range of a melody or voice part: the part of the register in which most of the tones of a melody or voice part lie.

the approach to the final pitch by step is called a melodic cadence.

move melody primarily by step, which is called conjunct motion. (级进)

skips ( of thirds, fourths and fifths) is called disjunct motion.

ex. traverse consonant melodic intervals.

1. Begin your melody on a memeber of the tonic trad (135) and end it with the two-pitch pattern 2-1 or 7-1. 

2. limit the range of your melody (the total span of pithces) to the interval of a tenth, and set most of your melodic activity within a comfortable interval (tessitura) of about a sixth.

• 3. move primarily by step. you can also move with occasional skips (of thirds, fourths and fifts) to add interest; However, disjunct motion should:
• be generally confined to small intervals, such as thirds, you can also use one or two larger leaps if they are within a perfect fifth

traverse consonant melodic intervals(i.e., no dissonant leaps, such as a diminished fourth)

resolve tensions. some scale members have strong melodic pulls toward another memeber, usually the one lying a half step away.

lead to a change of dirction that fills in at least some of the musical space that was created by the leap, calld the "law of recovery". not essential for skips of a third, but it is mandatory with larger leaps, such a s fifth.

rarely use multiple skips one after the other. you can use two skips in a row if they are both thirds and if you change dirction after the second skip.

avoid repeated notes and repetitive patters, or sequences (123,234,345).repeated notes create undesirable ryhthmic groupings and rhythmic stagnation( a state of inactivity)

4. Aim for a logical shape.A melody commonly creates an arch that slowly rises to a singe high pont, or melodic climax, and then returns to the starting point.

• Soprano
• Alto
• Tenor
• Bass

the highest- and lowest-sounding pitches as aurally the most prominent. Outer voices provide the structural skeleton in tonal music, and harmony is most easily viewed as the filling in of the musical space between these two melodic voices - the soprano and the bass - with usually two additional voices (alto and tenor)

the relationship between and movement of two or more voices is called counterpoint ( melody against melody) or polyphony(multiple sounds)

Contrapuntal relationships depend on two elements: (1) the behavior of consonant and dissonant intervals, and (2) the harmonies implied by their interaction.

Johann Fux/  Gradus ad parnassum . this book was closely studied by composers of the late eighteenth century, including Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, as well as composers throughout the nineteenth century, including Brahms.

fixed songs; singular: Cantus firmus(CF)

First-species counterpoint : note-against-note counterpoint (also called 1:1 counterpoint)

The newly composed voice is called the contrapuntal voice (or counterpoint). this voice can be written above or below the CF.

In second-species counterpoint (also called 2:1 counterpoint), two pitches are written against a single pitch of the CF. 

Subsequent species add more pitches to the contrapuntal voice as well as new rhythmic procedures.

Fifth-species counterpoint combines all of the techniques of the previous four species.

the study of species counterpoint will help develop your ear and show you the difference between rules, which must be obeyed, and guidelines, which are more aesthetic options.

1. each line move primarily by step (major and minor seconds); leaps are restricted to small consonant intervals (mostly thirds and single fourth)

2. each line's contour is varied that the direction changes after every pitch or two

3. the combination of lines produces only consonant harmonic intervals, most of which are imperfect( thirds and sixths). perfect fourths are unstable in two-voice counterpoint and considered to be a dissonance.

4. the two melodies rarely move in the same direction;rather, each melody maintains its own independence.

contrapuntal motion refers to the contours produced between two or more voices. 

• contrary motion
• similar motion 
• parallel motion

Contrary motion creates the most independence between voices. you should therefore incorporate it as much as possible.

Parallel motion can be very beautiful. In order to maintain as much independence and momentum as possible in parallel motion, you may use only imperfect intervals(thirds and sixths). Further, parallel motion in thirds or sixths should be limited to a maximum of three consecutive uses (6-6-6,or 3-3-3) in order to avoid monotony.

parallel perfect intervals(5,8)is forbidden.

also called hidden intervals or similar intervals:  approach a perfect consonance by similar motion.