Little free counterpoint quiz

[Quijote]

Sorry I could not get to it this past weekend. These have been pretty busy days but I do plan on doing it soon.

There is absolutely no problem, Sorrano.

[Peter]

I'm waiting for work to be handed in by students Sorrano, Chris, Enrique, Peter and Arno.

Oh no, my student days are most certainly over regarding harmony and I've no desire to revisit them except when I have to in regards to teaching piano. You don't do French by any chance?

[Sorrano]

I would certainly hope that my student days never end. The moment I stop learning I might as well stop living.

[Peter]

I would certainly hope that my student days never end. The moment I stop learning I might as well stop living.

After several years of 4 part harmony and 5 species counterpoint you might indeed want to!

[Sorrano]

After several years of 4 part harmony and 5 species counterpoint you might indeed want to!

I spent 7 years working on undergraduate and graduate music studies, including harmony and counterpoint, without taking a break between semesters and terms, as we call them. That includes spring and summer terms. The rigorous, endless, cycle of of midterm and final exams was wearing, but the desire to study and continue learning remained strong with me, regardless the topic. As long as I maintain the desire to learn and study life has great meaning for me. Otherwise, it's a bit drab and useless.

[Quijote]

Oh no, my student days are most certainly over regarding harmony and I've no desire to revisit them except when I have to in regards to teaching piano. You don't do French by any chance?

Non.

[Quijote]

I spent 7 years working on undergraduate and graduate music studies, including harmony and counterpoint, without taking a break between semesters and terms, as we call them. That includes spring and summer terms. The rigorous, endless, cycle of of midterm and final exams was wearing, but the desire to study and continue learning remained strong with me, regardless the topic. As long as I maintain the desire to learn and study life has great meaning for me. Otherwise, it's a bit drab and useless.

We can fix that, Sorrano! Still, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, as the saying goes. I mean, look at me!
[We'd rather not, thank you. Ed.]

[Sorrano]

We can fix that, Sorrano! Still, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, as the saying goes. I mean, look at me!
[We'd rather not, thank you. Ed.]

My Dad always hated that saying, being a workaholic. His name is Jack.

[Enrique]

Sorrano. Could you tell me if the following statement is correct? It would save me a lot of work. "With all triads in root position, 4-part writing, if I use the strict rules for connecting chords, as stated in Piston's p.20 (Ch. Harmonic progression, section Voice leading), I'll have no parallel octaves or fifths, no direct octaves or fifths". That is, no danger to incur in those mistakes.

[Sorrano]

Enrique, I will have to reply tonight; my Piston is at home and I am at work. It's been years (and it shows with these exercises) that I've done much with Bachian harmonic progressions, so I am quite rusty there.

[Sorrano]

Sorrano. Could you tell me if the following statement is correct? It would save me a lot of work. "With all triads in root position, 4-part writing, if I use the strict rules for connecting chords, as stated in Piston's p.20 (Ch. Harmonic progression, section Voice leading), I'll have no parallel octaves or fifths, no direct octaves or fifths". That is, no danger to incur in those mistakes.

The rules do include parallel fifths and octaves. You should be able to avoid those mistakes.

[Enrique]

Are you sure? Look, for example, at this rule (I find out yesterday night): in the case of two triads having notes in common, he gives the rule and one exception: "In the progression II-V, it is customary not to repeat the common tone but to move the three upper voices down to the next available position". Now, this exception avoids direct octaves! (Break the rule stated in the exception, following, of course, the general rule previously stated, and you'll find your direct octave).

[Sorrano]

The idea is that if you do follow the "rules" that you will avoid the parallels. However, I erred in referring to these as rules, as Piston states (P. 17 of the Third Edition), "The following generalizations are based on observations of usage, with no attempt to justify usage by suggesting reasons of an acoustical nature (although such physical hypothesis surely do exist). They are not proposed as a set of strict rules to be rigidly adhered to."

In short, while you adhere to the methods as outlined, but you maintain the responsibility of ensuring that the non-practiced methods (parallel 5ths, octaves, etc.) do not happen.

[Enrique]

What I say is just this. In the progression II-V, if you repeat the common tone then you will have a direct (aka hidden) octave. But if you apply the "rule" (the rule would say that you must not repeat the common tone but move the three upper voices down), then you avoid the direct octave. The II-V progression is only an example. The same applies to every other progression, I think, that is, you wont be able to produce direct octaves if you stick to the "rules".

Doubling of the third or fifth instead of the root I consider it breaking the rules. The same, with respect to the other advices for giving the voices more freedom of movement.

That is my assertion, which I cannot just now prove, but I sure about it.

[Quijote]

Enrique and Sorrano,
I don't know if this helps, but please check out the PDF attached. It does seem to me that the Piston is a bit too verbose. I think the page I have attached sums it up. Apologies for not posting much recently, I'm suffering from the 'flu (= la gripe (E) / la grippe (FR).