How to Learn 18th Century Musical Counterpoint

By the 1700s, Johann Sebastian Bach had become one of the most prolific and relevant composers. History has a kinder view of his work than did his contemporaries, but he's now regarded as one of the most influential composers of all time. People love his music for its richly woven melodic lines, or counterpoint. If you're a music lover, consider learning Bach's style as a guide to this wonderful technique.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Listen to recordings of "The Well-Tempered Clavier" and "The Art of the Fugue." These were two of Bach's most famous works for keyboard instruments and provide clear examples of his contrapuntal style.

2. Play through some of Bach's simpler keyboard works, like the Two-Part Inventions or the Little Preludes and Fugues. Diving into the deep counterpoint of his more advanced pieces can be overwhelming, so learn the easier ones first as a guide.

3. Purchase a textbook on counterpoint and read it through. Most good books have study questions as well as chapter summaries, which will help you learn and remember the rules of counterpoint.

4. Analyze Bach's music and watch out for the techniques you've read about in your textbook. If you've never done musical analysis before, don't worry. Even the most basic theory textbooks tell you how, so head down to your nearest library or college bookstore to check one out.

5. Take a college class on counterpoint. Most music theory classes will talk about counterpoint at some point, but it's best if you can spend at least a semester going over the techniques and working through examples. Some colleges even offer distance learning over the Internet, which is great if you want to learn and can't fit classes into your schedule.

6. Take the time to explore the early contrapuntal techniques of masters like Josquin and Palestrina. Being familiar with these early forms of counterpoint makes it easier to understand the complexities of Bach.