ABSTRACT
Counterpoint is harmonically conditioned. Lines sculpted to be melodically independent of each other combine to imply the harmonic foundation. The bass line notwithstanding, counterpoint in jazz and popular styles more often resides in middle- or high-register lines called countermelodies. In orchestral arrangements, that role is often given to the strings. In a jazz or studio ensemble, any of the sections—trumpets, trombones, horns, or saxophones—can carry a countermelody. Each musical line occupies its own corridor, with minimal intrusion into the other line’s pathway. Consonant intervals appear in accented metric positions more often than do dissonant intervals. Film composers routinely employ the compositional techniques of the Classical masters, and counterpoint is no exception. J. S. Bach’s inventions and fugues constitute some of the most intensely motivic music ever composed. Bach’s Inventions afford an excellent introduction to the fugue. The genres share many features. Fugues are the longer works, and they’re usually for three or four voices.
