Contemporary Counterpoint. Theory & Application

Use counterpoint to make your music more engaging and creative. Counterpoint – the relationship between musical voices – is among the core principles for writing music, and it has been central to the study of composition for many centuries. Whether you are a composer, arranger, film composer, orchestrator, music director, bandleader, or improvising musician, this book will help hone your craft, gain control, and lead you to new creative possibilities. You will learn “tricks of the trade” from the masters and apply these skills to contemporary styles. Online audio examples illustrate the principles being discussed, and many recommended listening lists point you to additional examples of how these principles have been used in music over the past thousand years.

Endorsements

• “Beth Denisch’s expertise and love of composition shine through in this clearly written, elegant guide to counterpoint. This book is an excellent resource that will fill in a lot of blanks for intermediate composers and offer a trove of new, easy-to-follow ideas for beginners.” – Susan Rogers, Multi-Platinum-Selling Engineer and Producer (Prince, Barenaked Ladies, David Byrne) and Auditory Researcher
• “Contemporary Counterpoint: Theory and Application by Beth Denisch is a comprehensive look at the creativity of counterpoint. I think musicians and songwriters use many of these techniques all the time but Beth has given context to why the theory works. Well done.” – Prince Charles Alexander, Multi-Grammy® Winning Professor of Music Production and Engineering, Berklee College of Music (Destiny’s Child, Sting, Luther Vandross)
• “Eloquent, precise, and approachable, Dr. Denisch’s book is counterpoint unveiled. Her ability to translate this intimidating subject matter is masterful. Her book is a gift to all musicians who want to deepen their understanding of counterpoint and gain new techniques to employ for their compositions.” – Melissa Ferrick, Artist and Producer, Alt Country Album of the Year, Associate Professor of Songwriting, Berklee College of Music (Bob Dylan, Weezer, Tegan and Sarah)