More about two-motive writing

Except for playing motives after one another, you can also play motives simultaneously. This is a different kind of counterpoint, where all the motives, albeit different, must fit together. Difficult as it may be, it is also where the great fun begins. Consider this: the two motives may be of different length, far from similar to each other, and still made to go along. Of course, the last part is where the musical skills are put to the test. It is however a good creative exercise to compose two different motives and try to bring them together to make some nice music. This procedure is not at all uncommon  on the contrary, it is widely used. Almost any song is more or less a two-motive composition, where the singer provides one and the other musicians the other motive(s). Of course, in such cases a motive could mean a backing chord progression, or a drum beat pattern (i.e. no ear-catching melodies) but still & Another way to write a two-motive composition is to make the second motive an imitation of the first one. The imitation can be literal  or a variation on the original theme (see article on motive variations). The presentation of the motives can be different, for example one motive can be followed by a new one in one voice, while this second motive appears as first in the other voice. Moreover, the appearance of motives does not need to be precisely on the same measure and beat. Listen to songs and find out how the motives are used in them. Write your own composition by dint of the techniques presented in these four lessons on motives.

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