Question 1

What is a cantus firmus and why does it matter for composition students?

Accepted Answer

A cantus firmus is a stepwise modal melody of seven to thirteen notes that begins and ends on the modal final, contains a single unique high point (apex), avoids melodic tritones, and uses leaps sparingly. It is the foundational object of species counterpoint as taught from Fux through the conservatory tradition. Working from a well-formed cantus firmus is how composers learn to hear modal motion, manage tension and resolution, and build the ear that lets them write controlled lines later in any style. This generator produces cantus firmi that satisfy the classical constraints, and the worksheet generator pairs them with blank staves so the student can write the counterpoint by hand.

Question 2

What kinds of staff paper and worksheets can this tool generate?

Accepted Answer

Four output modes: (1) an interactive Staff Paper canvas where you place notes, rests, accidentals, barlines, ties and clef changes by point-and-click; (2) a Cantus Firmus generator that produces modal melodies with audible playback; (3) a Counterpoint Worksheet that pairs a generated cantus firmus with blank upper, lower, or both staves for hand-written exercises; and (4) an A4 Sheet view that transposes the cantus firmus to multiple finales on one printable page, useful for keyboard practice. Every output prints to A4 portrait at fixed 14 mm margins with Bravura SMuFL notation and clean editorial typography.

Question 3

Which modes does the generator support, and why is Locrian excluded?

Accepted Answer

Six modes: Ionian (major), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian and Aeolian (minor). Locrian is intentionally excluded because its diminished fifth between the modal final and the fifth scale degree makes a satisfying cantus firmus essentially impossible — the central pillar (final–fifth) is dissonant in every progression, which contradicts the modal stability a cantus firmus is meant to establish. Fux and the entire historical species tradition treat Locrian as theoretical rather than practical for this reason. Note names can be displayed in international (B / B♭) or German/Nordic (H / B) convention as an independent toggle from the UI language.

Question 4

Is the staff paper free, and is it really watermark-free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Free, no sign-up, and nothing stamped on the page: no logo, no watermark, no small print. Staff paper is not advertising space, and the blank page should be exactly that, blank. Write directly in the browser, then print or export a clean sheet, or generate an empty worksheet to solve by hand. Composition teaching should not be a commercial machine — and neither should its staff paper.

Online Staff Paper