Contrary_motion Contrary_motion

Contrary motion - Definition and Overview

Related Words: Adversary, Alien, Anti, Antipodal, Antipode, Antipodes, Antithesis, Antonym

In music theory, contrary motion is the general movement of two melodic lines or pitches in opposite directions. For example, in one melodic line a note moving to another of a higher pitch, a second line in contrary motion would have this note moving to another of a lower pitch at the same time.

The concept of contrary motion is important in the analysis of musical themes. To create a variation of a certain theme, one technique is to subject the theme to make it move in contrary motion to the original.

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