How can stepwise movement be concordant?
I am learning rules of counterpoint. One of the rules states:
Do not make stepwise concordant movements longer than a fifth.
As far as I understand stepwise movement is either 2nd minor or second major. So, it is either one semi-tone or one tone. Both are dissonant. So, they are discordant (not concordant).
So, how can stepwise movement be concordant?
Here is the source of the rules that I am using.
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I suspect that your source for that rule is this paper, and I note that the authors appear to be Italian. The English awkward in many places, not least in the phrase "longer than a fifth," and I suspect that stepwise is a mistranslation from some Italian word. It is clear from the context that the word should instead be consecutive.
I think the rule would result in examples like these...
...where the rules says to avoid movement like the first two examples.
The third is OK - by the rule - because there is at least one dissonance.
I haven't seen a rule with the specific wording, but the general principle is...
use a variety of intervals and motion types to create interesting counterpoint
use dissonance as a dynamic force to move the music forward.
...do not understand how a concordant movement can be longer than fifth. The only allowed intervals that are larger than 5th are minor 6th and octave.
I think the misunderstanding comes from the rule being poorly worded. Maybe they should use range. "...stepwise movement ranging more than a fifth..." Such movement would be the parts I circled in red. I don't think they mean the size of a melodic leap.
The "concordant" part could refer to melodic intervals like the tritone F leaping up to B which is often avoided. That that melodic concord meaning doesn't make sense to specify when the movement is already described as step-wise. I can only assume the concords are those formed in counterpoint with another line.
I'm still not sure where you got this rule. If you don't have a copy of Fux's species counterpoint, you should try to get one. It's one of the seminal counterpoint books. Personally, I have more faith in "rules" when they come from the most authoritative sources... or from real scores.
It means what Michael assumes:
Do not make longer passages with parallel thirds or sixths (maximum four episodes)
(as four steps will be a fifth)
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