2.2 Catalog of common errors
These are the most common errors in OTH counterpoint, in rough order of frequency:
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Orbit persistence (parallel-perfect-orbits): three or more consecutive chord-graph edges within the same orbit. Fix: introduce an orbit change.
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Cadence miss: the penultimate chord is not a tension chord, or the leading-interval-pair is not coordinated. Fix: approach the Summit through a Saddle or Slope; coordinate the two semitone resolutions to occur in the same beat or adjacent beats.
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Unresolved non-chord tones: a passing/neighbor tone that doesn’t resolve by step. Fix: either resolve it stepwise or relabel it as a chord tone (perhaps you’ve miscounted the orbit).
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Voice crossing: an upper voice descends below an inner voice or vice versa. Fix: re-voice; or adjust the offending pitch by an octave.
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Static voice line: a voice that holds the same pitch for many chord-zones without melodic motion. Fix: introduce a passing tone, neighbor figure, or melodic step.
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Rhythmic homophony: all voices moving in identical rhythm. Fix: offset entries; vary durations across voices.
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Wing-color drift: the piece wanders between wings without intent. Fix: either commit to one wing for sustained passages, or make crossings deliberate (perhaps coinciding with structural arrivals).
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Motivic isolation: one voice has a clear motif; other voices have nothing comparable. Fix: introduce variations of the motif in other voices, even if displaced or transposed.
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Fiber abuse: using fiber inversions as if they were harmonic moves. Fix: recognize the fiber as color, not function. Reserve fiber inversions for textural elaboration of a single chord-zone, not for narrative motion.
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Cadential rushing: the cadence arrives too soon, without proper preparation. Fix: prolong the penultimate chord (or its preparation) so the listener anticipates the resolution.