---
title: Counterpoint
description: Counterpoint is the relationship between two or more independent musical lines that are harmonically interdependent. Learners will understand the rules of species counterpoint, voice-leading principles, and how to write polyphonic music where multiple melodies coexist.
category: music-audio
subcategory: music-theory
difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced
url: /subject/counterpoint
---

# Counterpoint

Counterpoint is the relationship between two or more independent musical lines that are harmonically interdependent. Learners will understand the rules of species counterpoint, voice-leading principles, and how to write polyphonic music where multiple melodies coexist.

## Available Resources

3 Books • 2 Websites

## Books

### 1. Counterpoint

**Author:** Kent Kennan

Kent Kennan's college textbook on eighteenth-century, Bach-style contrapuntal writing: two- and three-voice writing, invention, canon, fugue, and chorale prelude, with graded exercises. Readers learn to write and analyse tonal counterpoint in the Baroque idiom.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid

**Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0131842358?tag=edmonddante07-20

**Tags:** books, music-performing-arts, music-theory

### 2. Study of Counterpoint

**Author:** Johann Joseph Fux

Alfred Mann's English translation of the 1725 Gradus ad Parnassum dialogues, which teach strict species counterpoint step by step from note-against-note writing to florid counterpoint. Readers learn the voice-leading rules that underpin most later counterpoint and harmony teaching.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid

**Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393002772?tag=edmonddante07-20

**Tags:** books, music-performing-arts, music-theory

### 3. Counterpoint in Composition

**Author:** Felix Salzer, Carl Schachter

A Schenkerian textbook that teaches species counterpoint in two to four voices, then shows how those species principles explain voice leading and prolongation in actual tonal compositions. Readers learn to hear the contrapuntal structure beneath harmonies in common-practice repertoire.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid

**Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/023107039X?tag=edmonddante07-20

**Tags:** books, music-performing-arts, music-theory

## Websites

### 1. musictheory.net

Musictheory.net is a free, interactive platform for learning music theory, offering concise lessons on intervals, chords, scales, rhythm, and notation. It also provides hands-on practice with ear training and theory tools to test and reinforce your understanding.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://musictheory.net

**Tags:** websites, arts-design, creative-arts

### 2. teoria.com

Teoria is an online music theory resource offering interactive lessons, ear-training exercises, and reference materials on scales, intervals, chords, rhythm, and harmony, with musical examples and analyses.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://teoria.com

**Tags:** websites, arts-design, creative-arts

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