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 third species counterpoint you are required to add four crotchets to each bar and dissonances may now appear on the second and fourth crotchet beats.

Many of the rules from second species on consecutive intervals and melodic motion still apply. In addition if there is a scale followed by a leap, the two should be in opposite directions - i.e. descending scale followed by ascending leap. There are too many other rules to enumerate her such as not leaping upwards from a strong beat and textbooks all give slightly different versions. This brief summary is just to give you a taster.

Note that in the last but one bar the rule on leaving dissonances by step is broken (the c2 on the second beat of the bar). This is called a nota cambiata and is a traditional device found in much polyphonic music. The various melodic embellishments discussed in the voice-leading section of the Toolkit basically fall into the same category. Appogiaturas etc. are traditional exceptions to general 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