Contemporary Counterpoint - Theory and Application | Composition and Arranging Techniques for Modern Musicians | Learn Harmony Writing and Creative ... Online Audio

by Beth Denisch

(Berklee Guide). Use counterpoint to make your music more engaging and creative. Counterpoint the relationship between musical voices is among the core principles for writing music, and it has been central to the study of composition for many centuries. Whether you are a composer, arranger, film composer, orchestrator, music director, bandleader, or improvising musician, this book will help hone your craft, gain control, and lead you to new creative possibilities. You will learn "tricks of the trade" from the masters and apply these skills to contemporary styles. Online audio examples illustrate the principles being discussed, and many recommended listening lists point you to additional examples of how these principles have been used in music over the past thousand years.

Genres: Music

184 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2017

Reviews

[Rase McCray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this but I also wanted it to be something different than what it was. It was great at introducing the central idea of what counterpoint is, especially the species analysis of a jazz improvisation. Despite being a single example of less than a page, that one analysis gave me a greater sense of why we learn counterpoint with species examples than I’ve gotten from whole books before. (Though possibly that was me not being ready to learn the lesson before now.)

Species counterpoint is full of rules, which can be intimidating and, frankly, unnecessary for most people, even musicians. For that reason, this book is GREAT for people who don’t need to know every in and out. It goes through the fundamentals of the species quickly and effectively, then moves on to an extended exploration of the various forms of imitative counterpoint. I think the average musician probably has a LOT more to gain from that kind of knowledge than the 50ish rules of species counterpoint.

But that’s also why the book wasn’t what I was looking for. Imitative counterpoint is a lot easier to learn and recognize than the many, many species rules, so it’s not where I personally need to spend more time. I wanted a fresh perspective on species counterpoint and it’s applications to modern music, with a lot more guidance on making great lines in free counterpoint. Though this book has a lot of strengths, it’s weakest in the exact areas that I was hoping it would excel. I think the better choice for me is Tonal Counterpoint for the 21st c. Musician by Teresa Davidian, which I’ve just started reading and am already loving.

[Jorge Rubén · Rating 4 out of 5]

De los cursos más desafiantes que haya tenido el gusto de leer. El contrapunto es una herramienta alquímica primordial para la música. Los acordes simplifican esta magia, lo cual en sí no es negativo, pero olvidarla sería un desperdicio.

[Jojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do I even read the book?