Some Guidelines for Writing Temporally Equidistant Three-Voice Canons in Sixteenth-Century Style

Abstract

Most courses in counterpoint in sixteenth-century style involve some work with canonic imitation. Although the literature generally features free imitation in which only a head motive is retained, or in which the pitch interval of imitation varies, it also contains numerous examples of strict canons by Palestrina and others. The composition of such canons, which the early theorists called "fugues," can pose a challenge for both teacher and student. This study will limit itself to the problems of composing a representative type of strict canon: the three-voice canon with temporally equi-distant entries.