contrapuntal
Americanadjective
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of or relating to counterpoint.
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composed of two or more relatively independent melodies sounded together.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of contrapuntal
1835–45; < Italian contrappunt ( o ) + -al 1. See counterpoint
Explanation
Anything contrapuntal has to do with counterpoint, which is a type of music that has two melodic lines played at the same time. Many kinds of music (such as rock and country) are very simple, but others are more complex: such as contrapuntal tunes. Contrapuntal music involves counterpoint, in which more than one musical line plays at the same time. The lines are independent but related harmonically: creating that relationship isn’t easy. A contrapuntal composer therefore must be very skilled, because contrapuntal music has a lot of balls in the air — or rather, notes. You can also call contrapuntal music polyphonic.
Vocabulary lists containing contrapuntal
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Iyer’s left hand is more than up to the task of the low-end contrapuntal motion that Mr. Threadgill’s music demands, and Mr. Prieto long ago mastered his idea of frictionless grooves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
His contrapuntal beats lend context to tenor saxophonist Billy Pierce’s abstract improvisations; his laid-back rim shots ground pianist Johnny O’Neal’s lyrical lines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025
Our contrapuntal analysis rendered four sites of dialectical tension found across women’s blog posts: only choice vs. other alternatives, unprepared vs. knowledgeable, relief vs. regret, and silence vs. openness.
From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2023
Call it a small masterpiece — a term you might also apply to Timo Andres’s “An Open Book,” which moves between contrapuntal strictures and more free-associative lines with casual discipline.
From New York Times ● Mar. 12, 2023
Most music for large instrumental groups such as bands or orchestras is contrapuntal at least some of the time.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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