Contrapunctual vs. Chordal Thinking
The other day, I clearly realized for the first time that the majority of instrument-players think using chords. Their idea of music, although it may have solos and melodies in it, primarily consists of a chordal vocabulary.
The idea of music that doesn't have chords or isn't related to in a chordal way is mostly alien to them.
I used to be like that in a way, when I was a little kid taking piano lessons, and I learned some chord based songs (by Michael Jackson) in addition to the very rudimentary classical pieces in my lessons. I remember the feeling of hitting the one bass root note with my left hand and triads in various positions with my right. It was satisfying and simple.
But that just didn't work forever, and even though my first composed piece was pretty much based off C, F, and G chords, the little songs I wrote on the bus were just melodies and the seeds of ideas of other pieces were largely melodic and contrapunctual as well.
Somehow, I've always had a knack for counterpoint. I remember pretty much my whole life, I would sing a bassline against the music I was listening to instead of smoothly flowing with it. It was just natural. Honestly, until relatively recently, the notes were often what might be considered "cheesy 1700's tonic/dominant harmony", but I took a lot of pride in what I thought were my inventions.
(I didn't really know how conventional a lot of that was at the time, and I'm happy for it)
Since then, I can barely manage to sing along with a melody. My cousin asked me last summer the reason, and I said it was because I was doing counterpoint. He was angry and thought I was making something up. I laughed, and totally understood his position.
How do you like to think, contrapunctually or chordally?
Until next time,
Azure
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