Counterpoint: Lecture 4 - Fourth Species (16th Century)

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In 16th-century fourth species counterpoint, the lower voice moves in whole notes while the upper voice moves in syncopated half notes. The goal is to create as many dissonant suspensions as possible, resolved by stepwise motion in the upper voice. A suspension occurs when a consonant note from the previous measure is held over into the next measure, creating a dissonance with the new note in the lower voice.

The most common suspensions are 4-3 (a perfect fourth resolving to a major or minor third), 7-6 (a major or minor seventh resolving to a major or minor sixth), and occasionally, with caution, 9-8 (a major or minor ninth resolving to an octave). Sometimes, a suspension can be prepared by another suspension, creating a chain of dissonances. For example, a 9-8 suspension can be prepared by a 4-3 suspension in the previous measure. However, not every measure needs to have a suspension.

It is acceptable to revert to second species counterpoint occasionally, where both voices move in half notes, forming consonance on the downbeat and allowing dissonance only on the offbeat. The most important thing is to listen to the final solution and use your ears to judge the musicality of the composition.

0:00 Introduction
0:05 Fourth Species
02:24 Dissonant Suspensions
04:36 Types of Suspensions
06:54 9-8 and 2-1 Suspensions
08:38 Suspensions in Practice
09:23 Resolving Suspensions
9:53 Unisons
10:29 Cadences

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