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FIrst, If you desire to compose any thing, first make the Tenor, or some other Voyce; according as the Tone by which it is ruled doth require.
2 The vnusuall Moodes are by all meanes to be auoyded: for they all are Discords, except the tenth.
3 In perfect Concordances neuer set a sharpe Voyce against a flat, nor
contrarily, but set a Sharpe against a Sharpe; a Flat against a Flat, or at least against a naturall. For the Naturals are doubtfull, and will agree with ♮ Dures, and b Mols, thus? 〈♫〉〈♫〉 Tenor. Base not good. Base is good.
4 If the Tenor in the plaine Song goe too deepe, transpose it to a fift, or to a fourth if need be, as you may see in the Hymne, Quem terra.
5 All the parts of the Song in the beginning and end were by the anci∣ents made of perfect Cords: which Rule with vs is arbitrarie.
6 When one Voyce goes vpward or downeward, you need not vary the rest: because to an immouable voyce, many mouable voices may be fitted.
7 In euery Song seeke for the neerest Concords: for they which are too farre distant, doe taste of Discord, say the Pythagoreans.
8 Let the Tenor together with the rest haue sweete Melodie, in wandring Collations.
9 If the Tenor touch the Meanes and Trebles, the Meane may descend to the place of the Tenor.
10 If the Tenor fall to touch the Base, let the Base goe vp into the place of the Tenor, according as the Concords shall require.
11 Euery Song, must be often adorned with formall Closes.
12 If the Tenor shall haue the Close of the Meane; the Meane on the other side shall haue the Close of the Tenor, by ending either from a tenth in an eight, or from a third in an Vnison, thus: 〈♫〉〈♫〉 Discantus. Tenor.
13 If the Base take the Close of the Tenor, the Tenor shall take the Close of the Meane; Or if the Base take the Close of the Meane, the Tenor shall take his Close, as in the Rule going before is shewed, thus: 〈♫〉〈♫〉 Tenor. Base.
14 The Meane doth seldome take a fift aboue the Tenor: but the im∣fect Concordance oft times.
15 The Base must seldome or neuer be placed in a sixt vnder the Tenor, vnlesse an Eight streight follow, but in the perfect Concords it may often.
16 If the Base haue a fift vnder the Tenor, let the Meane be set in a fift aboue the Tenor, by ending in a third, thus: 〈♫〉〈♫〉 Discantus. Tenor. Bassus.
17 Let the Meane seldome leape by a fift vpwards, but by a sixt and an eight it may oft: to which also an eight downeward is forbidden, though all the other Interuals be graunted.
18 A Base may not leape a sixt, it hath all the other Moodes common.
19 In Fourths Mi doth not agree with Fa, because it maketh a Tritone.
20 A Fourth though being simply taken it is a Discord; yet being ioyned to a Concord, and mingled therewith, it maketh a Concordant midling with the extreames, saith Franchinus.
21 A Fourth is admitted onely in two places in the Counter-point: first when being shut betwixt two Eights, it hath a fift below. Because if the fift be aboue, the Concord is of no force: by that reason of Aristotles (whom Plato calleth Anagnostes, that is an vnwearied Reader of Bookes) whereby in his Problemes he shewes, that the deeper Discordant sounds are more perceiued than the higher. Secondly, when the Tenor and Meane, doe goe by one or more sixts, then that Voyce which is midling, shall alwayes keepe a Fourth vnder the Cantus, and a third aboue the Tenor. 〈♫〉〈♫〉 The higher Voyce. 〈♫〉〈♫〉 The middle Voyce. 〈♫〉〈♫〉 The lowest Voyce.
21 The most famous manner of the Counter-point, as (saith Franchinus) is, if the Base goe together with the Meane, or any other Voyce, being also distant by a tenth, whilst the Tenor doth goe in Concord to both, thus: 〈♫〉〈♫〉 Tenor huius. 〈♫〉〈♫〉 The Treble out of the Base in the Tenth.
23 If you ioyne not the same Concord, you shall make two parts Con∣cords in Tenths.
24 It is necessary for yong beginners to make a Scale of ten lines, then to distinguish it by bounds, so that they may write each time within each bound, by keyes truly marked, least the confused mingling together of the Notes hinder them; yet is it better to compose without a Scale, but because it is hard, let yong men begin with a Scale, thus:
Neither must young learners thinke it a matter of no weight, how the signes are set together, for by the vnorderly referring of them, so many er∣rours haue sprung in Musicke, that it is hard to be knowne, in what path a man may goe safe. Wherefore if a man will compare one signe with ano∣ther, let him carefully marke the nature of the Diminution and Proporti∣ons, least referring this to that, the measure of the one be too great, or too little.