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Counterpoint combines two or more independent melodic lines that maintain individual integrity while creating harmonious combinations. Effective counterpoint balances independence and coordination—each line must be singable alone while the combination generates harmonic interest. Voice-leading rules (smooth motion, contrary motion, parallel-interval avoidance) ensure coherence without compromising melodic freedom.
Study Bach two-part inventions, analyzing how both voices maintain melodic character and independence while establishing harmonic function. Compose original two-part inventions progressing from note-against-note to florid counterpoint.
Counterpoint at its core is the art of musical conversation between voices. You already understand voice-leading—how individual voices move smoothly from note to note—and the basics of counterpoint, which establishes what intervals are allowed between simultaneous notes. Combining melodies takes these tools further: the goal is not simply to harmonize a melody from above or below, but to weave two melodic lines that each have their own narrative, so that a listener could follow either voice on its own.
The foundational tension in two-voice writing is between melodic independence and harmonic coherence. If both voices move in the same direction at the same time (parallel motion), they lose independence—the voices start to sound like one thick melody rather than two distinct characters. The antidote is contrary motion: when one voice ascends, the other descends. Contrary motion is the most powerful tool for maintaining independence while keeping the combination consonant.
Bach's two-part inventions offer the clearest window into this balance. Notice how in the C major invention, the right-hand motive is answered by the left hand while the right continues with a complementary line. Neither hand simply accompanies the other—both are carrying melodic material simultaneously. Each voice has characteristic leaps, sequences, and rhythmic patterns that identify it as a voice in its own right.
The practical challenge is managing voice crossings and parallel fifths or octaves. Parallel fifths and octaves collapse the independence you're working to maintain—the voices merge into unison or octave doubling for a moment, undermining the sense of two lines. Voice crossings, where the lower voice rises above the upper, similarly disrupt the registral separation that gives each voice its identity. Good contrapuntal writing keeps each voice in its own register melodically while weaving them together harmonically.
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