Modal first species in two voices: a complete procedure in D Dorian

What this entry adds

The general entry on first species presents the rules in C major. Here we work as in the Gradus: Dorian mode, given cantus, versions above and below, with bar-by-bar reasoning and alternative choices.

Rules of first species (working summary)

1. One note against one, consonances only.
2. Beginning: unison, octave or fifth (fifth only with the counterpoint above). Ending: unison or octave.
3. Unison only in the first and last bars.
4. A perfect consonance is approached by contrary or oblique motion.
5. Mostly imperfect consonances and contrary motion; at most three or four parallel thirds or sixths in a row.
6. Penultimate bar: major sixth (counterpoint above) or minor third (counterpoint below), with the raised leading tone: C# in Dorian.
7. Singable line: permitted leaps, single climax, few repeated notes.

Procedure in six steps

1. Write the extremes: first and last bar, then the penultimate (cadence). Above the cantus D4 … E4 D4: A4 at the beginning, C#5 and D5 at the end.
2. Sketch the profile: where will the climax be? Choosing it in advance avoids lines with no direction. Here, E5 at the eighth bar.
3. Fill in backward from the cadence: the penultimate note is C#5 over E4; the antepenultimate over F4 must lead to C#5 by step or small leap: D5 (major sixth) works.
4. Fill in from the beginning, seeking contrary motion against the cantus: when the cantus rises, the counterpoint falls.
5. Check the perfect intervals: every internal fifth and octave must be reached by contrary motion.
6. Sing the line alone: if it makes no melodic sense, rewrite it.

Example 1: counterpoint above

Cantus: D4 F4 E4 D4 G4 F4 A4 G4 F4 E4 D4

Counterpoint: A4 D5 C5 D5 B4 A4 C5 E5 D5 C#5 D5

Intervals: 5, 6, 6, 8, 3, 3, 3, 6, 6, 6, 8.

• Bar 4: the octave D5/D4 is reached by contrary motion (C5 rises, E4 falls).
• Bars 5–7: three parallel thirds, then contrary motion toward E5 (climax).
• Bars 8–10: three parallel sixths descending to the cadence.
• Last bar: C#5 rises to D5 while the cantus falls from E4 to D4.

Example 2: counterpoint below

Cantus: D4 F4 E4 D4 G4 F4 A4 G4 F4 E4 D4

Counterpoint: D3 A3 G3 B3 E3 A3 F3 G3 D4 C#4 D4

Intervals: 8, 6, 6, 3, 10, 6, 10, 8, 3, 3, unison.

• Opening on an octave (not a fifth).
• Bar 8: the octave G3/G4 is reached by contrary motion (F3 rises, A4 falls).
• The bass line uses leaps of a fourth and fifth typical of a low part, then closes by step C#4–D4 on the unison.

Variants to try

• Replace B4 in bar 5 with Bb4: the color becomes darker; check that no tritone with F arises.
• Move the climax to F5 (in bar 8 over G4 it is a seventh: impossible; try it at bar 7 over A4, a minor sixth): observe how the descent toward the cadence changes.
• Rewrite Example 1 a third lower (F4 as the first note): this is not possible, because the third is not a perfect opening consonance. The rules guide the choices.

Typical errors

• Too many octaves and fifths: the counterpoint sounds hollow. Aim for a perfect consonance every three or four bars at most.
• Internal unison for convenience.
• Excessive parallel motion: six thirds in a row turn the counterpoint into a doubling.
• Crossings: the counterpoint below must not go above the cantus.

Modern application

• Pop second voice: with the melody as the cantus and the second voice in first species, the rule of the major sixth opening out to the octave gives the classic closing of duets.
• Bass in songwriting: writing the bass note against note under the melody, with mostly contrary motion, produces more varied chord progressions than roots alone.
• Choirs: first species is the basis of fauxbourdon and syllabic harmonizations.

Related topics

First-species counterpoint, cantus firmus, four rules of motion, musica ficta, modal second species.