The Art of Singing and Playing on the Modern Flute: Counterpoint

The present treatise is a second result of the music research project on creation-practice for flute, entitled The Art of Singing and Playing, led by the author in collaboration with The Music, Education, Culture, and Society Research Team.

This document realizes a study of the counterpoint species according to the principles written by Felix Salzer and Carl Schachter, presented in their treatise Counterpoint in Composition. Through the understanding of each of the five counterpoint species, the author composed sets of different singing and playing two-part etudes for flute. These form a tool for progressively developing rhythmic independence through the execution of various compositions following the melodic and harmonic principles of each of the five species of counterpoint polyphony.

The sets of etudes are comprised of the following: (1) basic rhythmic etudes and two-part etudes in major and minor scales for singing and playing; (2) a set of the compositions transposed to various major and minor keys; (3) a set of figured-bass etudes; and (4) a set of twenty two-partetudes for singing and playing, these ones composed by Pablo Sotomayor. Each set of studies contains clear directions and interpretative instructions designed to guide the student through the process of practice, performance, and gradual development. These indications aim to ensure not only the technical learning and mastery of the extended technique but also the cultivation of a deeper artistic understanding.