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The art of combining two or more independent melodic lines simultaneously. From the Latin "punctus contra punctum" (point against point, note against note).
Counterpoint is the discipline of making multiple melodies work together. Each line must be independently beautiful while fitting harmonically with the others. The rules of counterpoint (parallel motion, dissonance treatment, voice crossing) exist to ensure each voice retains its independence.
Bach's two-part Inventions — the simplest demonstrations of counterpoint, where two voices maintain independence while creating satisfying harmony.
Counterpoint is one of 1760 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary: the words, abbreviations and instrument names that appear in printed scores, plus the vocabulary composers use to talk about them.
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