Chapter 4: Instrumental counterpoint
Most traditional western instruments were originally designed to imitate the voice. In early writing for instruments there was little difference between vocal and instrumental styles: Indeed, in the Renaissance, many pieces were designated, indifferently, "for voices or viols". However with the increasing exploration of instrumental idioms in the Baroque, instruments acquired a specific repertoire of gestures which showed them off in a more individual way. The vocal heritage remained, but the new idioms enriched composers' vocabulary. When the composer writes for instruments, he has a choice: Either he can write as though for voices (e.g. Bach, Well Tempered Keyboard, the E major Fugue in Vol. 2), or he can create more typically instrumental figuration. In the event that he chooses the latter path, certain constraints, normal for vocal writing, must be rethought.
Range
The most obvious difference, when writing for instruments, is range: When writing for violin, the range of alto or soprano voices is irrelevant. On a more subtle level, registers must be treated differently as well. For example, voices naturally are more subdued in their lower range and get louder as they rise. Certain instruments (oboe, bassoon) do the opposite. Writing all the woodwinds high and expecting a full, brilliant effect, like that which would result from placing voices in their top register, runs counter to the nature of the instruments; the effect is much thinner, even piercing. While a fuller discussion of register will have await the third volume in this series (Orchestration), suffice it to say here that without appropriate knowledge, the student is likely to be very surprised by the difference between vocal and instrumental registers and spacing.Crossing
Another area where instrumental counterpoint and vocal counterpoint differ is the use of crossing. In vocal counterpoint sustained crossing is rare and mostly reserved for special situations where one wishes to bring out one part by placing the lower voice in a stronger register, and the (normally) higher one in a quieter register.With instruments, two elements mitigate these conventions:
- the much greater range of certain instruments, compared to voices, means that to use the instrument in an unfettered way, without constant recourse to extreme registers will engender frequent crossing. This is especially the case with strings. Indeed, string quartet writing without crossing can even become rather anemic.
- Differences in tone color may make crossing less confusing to the ear than it would be for voices.
Specific Instrumental idioms and motives
We will take for granted the use of all instruments (except percussion) to imitate the voice; this requires no special comment, except that wind instruments, which do not normally play single lines as choirs, need provision for breathing. (Another weakness in the strict species approach: Never does the student learn to use rests.) Without going into exhaustive detail here about idiomatic instrumental writing for each family, we will mention here the effect of a few common idioms in contrapuntal writing.One general remark: Because idioms are patterns, they are normally treated as motives.
Strings
For the voice, conjunct movement is the norm. For strings, the notion of "position" replaces conjunct movement: From a single position a string player commands notes covering around two octaves. Leaps between strings within the same position are completely idiomatic, and indeed may have given rise to the "compound line" mentioned above, so common in Bach. When used in a contrapuntal context, such constantly leaping lines need to be treated as follows:- The notes within each registral layer should form coherent lines.
- No layer should simply disappear after an active tone (e.g. a dissonance or a leading tone); it should come to a point of rest or merge into another layer.
- The pattern of leaps should show motivic coherence.
- The more leaps there are in a given line, the less the others should be active: In effect, compound line is already inherently contrapuntal by itself. Multiple complex compound lines easily overload the texture.
Woodwind
Woodwinds resemble the voice more than do strings: they need to breathe, and certain woodwinds are less agile in leaping (although they still surpass the voice in this regard). However, woodwinds change color very dramatically from one register to another, which can play havoc with the balance between contrapuntal lines. Also, winds (and strings, too) make far more use of detached articulations than the voice. Indeed, a motive can be defined entirely by articulation, which is, after all an aspect of rhythm: duration.Brass
Brass are even closer to the voice than woodwinds in their difficulties with leaps. Where they differ from the voice is in their agility in repeated notes and their immense dynamic range. Also, particularly for the deeper brass, the amount of breath required can be considerable: Phrases should not be too long.Percussion
Percussion, by its nature, does not sustain. Therefore, although some instruments can play melodic lines, rhythmic and coloristic considerations are more important than for the voice.© Alan Belkin, 2000. Legal proof of copyright exists. The material may be used free of charge provided that the author's name is included.