Below I’ll give you my selections for the best Counterpoint books by a few categories. I will cover these and other great books more in depth later.
- The Study of Counterpoint: From Johann Joseph Fux’s Gradus Ad Parnassum (1965)
- Contemporary Counterpoint: Theory & Application (Music Theory: Counterpoint) (2017)
- Counterpoint: The Polyphonic Vocal Style of the Sixteenth Century (Dover Books on Music) (1992)
- Tonal Counterpoint for the 21st-Century Musician: An Introduction (2015)
- Harmony, Counterpoint, Partimento: A New Method Inspired by Old Masters (2018)
- The Metronome (The Counterpoint Trilogy) (Volume 1) (2015)
- Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) (2008)
- The Principles and Practice of Tonal Counterpoint (2015)
- Three Views on Creation and Evolution (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) (1999)
- The Counterpoints Library: Complete 32-Volume Set: Resources for Understanding Controversial Issues in the Bible, Theology, and Church Life (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) (2015)
- Prague Counterpoint (Zion Covenant, Book 2) (2005)
- Understanding Four Views on the Lord’s Supper (Counterpoints: Church Life) (2007)
The Study of Counterpoint: From Johann Joseph Fux’s Gradus Ad Parnassum (1965)
The essence of the most celebrated book on counterpoint, Fux’s Gradus ad Parnassum. The most celebrated book on counterpoint is Fux’s great theoretical work Gradus ad Parnassum. Since its appearance in 1725, it has been used by and has directly influenced the work of many of the greatest composers. J.S.
Contemporary Counterpoint: Theory & Application (Music Theory: Counterpoint) (2017)
(Berklee Guide). 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.
Counterpoint: The Polyphonic Vocal Style of the Sixteenth Century (Dover Books on Music) (1992)
This classic introductory text focuses on the polyphonic vocal style perfected by Palestrina. Unlike many other texts, it maintains a careful balance between theoretical and practical problems, between historical and systematic methodology. The result is an exceptionally useful resource, ideal for classroom use in teaching modal counterpoint.
Tonal Counterpoint for the 21st-Century Musician: An Introduction (2015)
Students today have grown up in the age of digital technology. As a result, they process information in radically different ways than preceding generations. They like their information fast and consider visual images as important as textual content. In Tonal Counterpoint for the 21st-Century Musician, Teresa Davidian finally provides students a textbook that is quick, direct, and visual—a direct reflection of the age in which they live.
Harmony, Counterpoint, Partimento: A New Method Inspired by Old Masters (2018)
A new method of music theory education for undergraduate music students, Harmony, Counterpoint, Partimento is grounded in schema theory and partimento, and takes an integrated, hands-on approach to the teaching of harmony and counterpoint in today’s classrooms and studios.
The Metronome (The Counterpoint Trilogy) (Volume 1) (2015)
Russian interference in the U.S. politics, growing conflict with China, emergence of a populist U.S. politician – before they happened in real life, they were described in The Counterpoint TrilogyThe Metronome: Pavel Rostin has taken too many chances. Once a promising physicist, he abandoned science for finance and risked everything on a speculative venture.
Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) (2008)
To read the New Testament is to meet the Old Testament at every turn. But exactly how do Old Testament texts relate to their New Testament references and allusions? Moreover, what fruitful interpretive methods do New Testament texts demonstrate?
The Principles and Practice of Tonal Counterpoint (2015)
The Principles and Practice of Tonal Counterpoint is a comprehensive textbook that combines practical, “how-to” guidance in 18th-century techniques with extensive historical examination of contrapuntal works and genres.
Three Views on Creation and Evolution (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) (1999)
For Christians, the issues raised by the different views on creation and evolution are challenging. Can a ‘young earth’ be reconciled with a universe that appears to be billions of years old? Does scientific evidence point to a God who designed the universe and life in all its complexity? Three Views on Creation and Evolution deals with these and similar concerns as it looks at three dominant schools of Christian thought.
The Counterpoints Library: Complete 32-Volume Set: Resources for Understanding Controversial Issues in the Bible, Theology, and Church Life (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) (2015)
The Counterpoints Library: Complete 32-Volume Set is an amazing value for readers (the total retail value of the individual books is $659), covering diverse topics in the areas of theology, biblical studies, and church life including volumes on the historical Adam, hell, biblical inerrancy, baptism, divine providence, evolution, the rapture, women in ministry, eternal security, the Canaanite genocide, and much mo…
Prague Counterpoint (Zion Covenant, Book 2) (2005)
Opening in 1936, the Zion Covenant series tells the courageous and compelling stories of those who risk everything to stand against the growing tide of Nazi terrorism that is sweeping through central Europe under the dangerous and deceitful guise of Hitler’s Third Reich. A new study guide is included in each book.
Understanding Four Views on the Lord’s Supper (Counterpoints: Church Life) (2007)
Who should participate in the Lord’s Supper? How frequently should we observe it? What does this meal mean? What happens when we eat the bread and drink from the cup? What do Christians disagree about and what do they hold in common? These and other questions are explored in this thought-provoking book.
Best Counterpoint Books You Should Enjoy
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some counterpoint books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Radical Ritual: How Burning Man Changed the World
Author(s): Neil Shister
ID: 2393828, Publisher: Counterpoint, Year: 30 July 2019, Size: 11 Mb, Format: epub
Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk
Author(s): Sasha LaPointe
ID: 3232653, Publisher: Counterpoint, Year: 2022, Size: 778 Kb, Format: epub
Blow Your House Down: A Story of Family, Feminism, and Treason
Author(s): Gina Frangello
ID: 2955582, Publisher: Counterpoint, Year: 2021, Size: 1 Mb, Format: epub
Please note that this booklist is not errorless. Some books are absolutely record-breakers according to The New York Times, others are composed by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant resources you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.