A Practical Approach to the Renaissance Counterpoint Based on Zarlino’s Pedagogical Principle

Abstract

This paper presents distinctive features of diverse contrapuntal issues discussed in Zarlino’s Liber de arte contrapuncti, thus illuminating his extensive knowledge of teaching counterpoint and suggesting a supplement point with respect to a logical order of his discussion. In accordance with useful instructions based on his empirical analysis of counter-point, this paper provides his valuable teaching strategies and practical applications to the Renaissance counterpoint class. Especially in the fourth chapter, this paper summarizes his five pedagogical assumptions and applies those to a real situation. This process could support teachers to more realistically acquaint students with sixteenth-century contrapuntal idiom and with actual writing skills of the contrapuntal discipline.