201: Counterpoint Panel: Why “Harmony” Classes Fail, Fux Myths, Bach Traps & Better Methods

Counterpoint is the “huge topic” that crowns the Neapolitan method and the Paris Conservatoire tradition—and yet it’s often taught today in ways that leave students confused, discouraged, and musically disconnected.

In this Counterpoint Panel, I’m joined by:

• Robert O. Gjerdingen (Author of "Music in the Galant Style", "Child Composers")

• Peter van Tour (Author of "Counterpoint and Partimento")

• Job IJzerman (Author of "Harmony, Counterpoint, Partimento")

We talk about how counterpoint was introduced to each of them, why modern harmony courses often set students up for failure, and why “rules on paper” don’t work without singing, playing, and real stylistic vocabulary.

We also tackle:

• Why counterpoint matters (and what it actually trains)

• The truth about Fux and why the “species-only” pipeline so often collapses

• Why asking students to “write like Bach” can be a disaster—and what to use instead

• Whether everyone needs to write a fugue

• What “written counterpoint” training should look like when students already have practical skills

• Counterpoint’s future: horizontality, melody-making, and creative freedom

• If you teach, study, or care about the old training paths (solfeggio → partimento → counterpoint), this episode completes the trilogy. Subscribe for more interviews & deep dives into partimento, improvisation, historical pedagogy, and musicianship.