what is counterpoint?

[JDC]

can someone tell me what counterpoint is in n00b language?

is it basically 2 separate melodies playing along with each other?

[38thBeatle]

Pretty much yeah-particularly where the notes fit within the same harmonic group but have a different rhythmic structure. Cant think of an example off the top of my head apart from The Beatles "Help" and "Ive Got A Feeling". Classical composers used it a lot.

[il˙ti]

Yes, pretty much. It can be more than two melodies and they can have different degress of independence from each other, but they have to end up sounding harmonic with each other.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK57dUuaYpY

From 0.11 and onwards you'll notice he's playing two melodies at the same time, and you can likely only hum one at a time. But the way you hear it in your head is counter point.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Bach's 2 part and 3 part inventions are a case study in counterpoint, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIxHPqEqvy4

Since they were written long before there was polyphony, Bach arranged for multiple clavichords playing  simultaneously.

Counterpoint is two or more independent melodic lines occurring at the same time. If there is a melody accompanied by a rhythmic counterpart, this is not counterpoint. Canons, rounds and rondos, and fugues are all examples of counterpoint.