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).

In second species counterpoint you are required to add two notes per note of the cantus firmus. As you can see below, most of the rules in second species remain essentially the same as in first species - the main diference is that, under particular conditions, you can introduce dissonant as well as consonant intervals between the cantus firmus and the added part.

The basic rules remain the same as for first species:

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

With two minims added per semibreve of the cantus firmus, a few dissonances may appear on the weak second minim of each bar, as long as they are approached and left by step in one direction (usually descending). In other words, the dissonance and the note before and after should usually be a series of three descending major or minor seconds.

In addition to rules forbidding consecutive parallel fifths and octaves, you also have to take care with parallels between the first minims of successive bars. In these cases, the intervening minim (on the second beat of a bar) must:

• leap away a perfect fourth from the first minim
• move in contrary motion against the cantus firmus
• be consonant with the cantus firmus

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

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