Music Theory 3
MUTH 3603
Music Theory 3 is concerned with the study of 18th century, often known as "Bach-style", counterpoint.  Counterpoint is a term meaning the combination of two or more  melodies, such as you hear in a fugue.  You will learn to combine a given melody  with a melody you invent using what is called a "Species" approach. Then we will study the writing of canons, and passacaglias. In the last weeks of the semester we will focus on fugues, and learn how to analyze a fugue as well as compose the initial portion, or "exposition" of a three-voice fugue.


MUTH 3603 Assignment Materials

The worksheets listed below will be used in Music Theory 3.  These are Finale files and contain the given part to which you are expected to add a counterpoint.  To use them you will need either Finale or Finale NotePad.  Finale NotePad is available as a FREE download.  Click here to go to the Coda website to download this program.  NotePad is OK to use but it is a very much "stripped down" version of Finale.

If you don't own Finale our Music Computer Lab in Room 321 of the Music Building has it installed on all of the computers in the room, as well as midi keyboards attached to make it much easier to enter notes.  To use these Worksheets you will need to download them to your computer.  The computers in the MB 321 computer lab have all of these worksheets in a folder on the desktop, so you don't need to download them again.

In Windows just right click the name of the worksheet and follow the instructions that appear.  On a Macintosh you should hold down the "Control" key and click on the worksheet name.     

- Muth 3603 Worksheets to Download -
Worksheet 1 - Major Keys 1:1 Worksheet 2 - Major & Minor 1:1
Worksheet 3 Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5 Worksheet 6
Worksheet 7 Worksheet 8
Worksheet 9 Worksheet 10
Worksheet 11 Worksheet 12
Worksheet 13 Worksheet 14
Chap 8 Worksheet 2 Part Invention Analysis Wksht
Two Part Invention with gaps How to write a 2 Part Invention
Two Part Invention Motives 3 Voice Worksheet A
3 Voice Worksheet B 3 Voice Worksheet C
Passacaglia Example (not a worksheet) Passacaglia Subjects
Fugue Subject Worksheets 1 & 2 Fugue Subject Worksheet 3

Melody Analysis Worksheet
Worksheet 11b
Examples of Two Voice Pieces in Binary form by J.S. Bach (in Finale 2001 format)
Example of a Passacaglia by Colleen Pancake (in Finale 2001 format)
Various Fugue Subjects (in Finale 2001 format)

Examples of 3 Voice Accompanied Canons (in Finale 2003 format)
Canonic Trio No. 1 - A canon in F at the unison with a free counterpoint in the bass
Canonic Trio No. 2 - A canon in contrary motion with a free counterpoint in the bass
Canonic Trio No. 3 - A canon in E minor at the unison with a free counterpoint in the bass

March 2007 Student Passacaglia Compositions Page

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Counterpoint Help Tutorial Links

Second Species Counterpoint Help Tutorial
Fourth Species Counterpoint Help Tutorial