whats the term used when you have an ascending and a descending melody moving at the same time? I keep thinking contrary motion but something tells me thats not right.

Bach used this technique a lot, you can also find it in the 1st 3 bars of the stairway to heaven intro..

? i dunno
anyway i just told christoph about your question he should answer soon

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the word for word translation from french is "contrary motion", so I guess you 're right...

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Are you thinking of counterpoint?

Counterpoint is the name for the whole stuff, but in counterpoint, you can have "parralel", when the two line go in the same direction, "contrary", if one goes up, and the other down, and I can't remember the other...
Anyway, that's all translated from french, so I might be saying wrong stuff...

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