chord identification understanding voice-leading style awareness The ToolKIT, which is accessible from all pages of the site, outlines the three main analytical skills that TonalityGUIDE.com aims to develop. It also links to a short introduction to the study of tonality as well as a reminder of some basics (note and interval labels, clefs and transpositions).

All the species counterpoint exercises involve adding a second part to a pre-existing melody called the cantus firmus. In first species counterpoint, you are required to add one note per note of the cantus firmus. The resulting intervals must all be consonant and follow a number of rules:

no consecutive parallel octaves or fifths no similar motion to octaves or fifths melodic motion should mostly be stepwise (i.e. major or minor seconds)

only leaps allowed are thirds, perfect fourths and fifths, ascending minor sixth a leap must be followed by a step in the opposite direction

The rules governing leaps, range and direction of motion are designed to create a melodic fluency or elegance that is characteristic of Palestrina's vocal writing. This may seem artifically restricted, but what is interesting is that the rules that govern the later species are more-or-less followed in much tonal music (Schenkerian analysis suggests that even in much more complex music, the underlying structures still hasically adhere to these rules).

[numbers refer to the interval between the parts - 6 = 6th etc.]

information and orientation as you browse around TonalityGUIDE.com chord identification understanding voice-leading style awareness