Task: The task is to make three independent melodic lines fit together to form a little polyphonic piece. Begin with the three notes of a triad. These three notes can be regarded as a harmonic focal point for three strands of melody.

Allow the notes to move away from, and back to, the starting note. The outer voices could move in contrary motion. It is not necessary to have a time signature or bar lines. The fluid style does not need such dividers. Bar lines will, however, become necessary at some point, to help keep the performers together.

The weaving together of melodic lines around and through a succession of triads is the basis of polyphony.

---

I was unsure how many of these polyphonic miniatures were required for this exercise, but I have completed two contrasting pieces as this has been one of the most enjoyable compositional tasks so far. I have not yet found the best approach to write complementary moving parts, other than being guided by my own ear and some pre-planned work. In essence, these short pieces went through various iterations until I found something that sounded interesting to me while at the same time conforming to the assigned task.

The task doesn’t specify how the melodies should interact with each other, and a lot is left to the individual to decide on factors such as tonality, voice leading, motion, length, etc.

Contrapuntal Trial 1, in C# minor for Strings Trio