![]() In homophonic music, the individual voices won’t often change their roles, meaning that the most essential instrument or voice will remain the same throughout. This means that the relationship and interaction of the multiple melodies are what draws the attention, instead of a single clear melody. In polyphony, it is the interplay of motives, contour, continuity, and rhythm that are important. In homophony, the emphasis is on a single melodic line, which means that one melody will draw most of the listener’s attention. In the simplest of terms, polyphony describes music that has multiple active melodies. ![]() It is quite common for several instruments to be playing a song together, each contributing a specific part, and singers also often sing along to an instrumental chordal accompaniment. Most commercially-produced music contains more than just one melodic line. The Difference between Polyphony and Homophony We find polyphonic texture in most late Baroque music, as well as most music intended for large instrumental groups like bands or orchestras. Canonic counterpoint occurs when a second voice or numerous voices exactly repeat a prominent voice ( source). Imitative counterpoint happens when one voice mimics or repeats another. The voices can also often join one another in conversation-like ways or couplings.Ĭounterpoint is an important feature mentioned concerning polyphony as it describes the interaction of the multiple voices. Two or all of the voices may be of equal importance, or one may be slightly more prominent than another. In polyphonic texture, no specific importance is placed on a single voice. We can liken this to different parts of a machine that move at different speeds to one another but are all interrelated. Layering occurs when two or more voices are moving at independent yet closely related rhythmic levels. However, the general consensus is that the earliest known examples of a musical piece written explicitly for multiple voices date back to the year AD 1000 from The Winchester Troper collection ( source). Some theoretical treatises dating back to the early Middle Ages detail music with two separate vocal parts intended to complement one another. Polyphony defined a lot of European music up to the 20th century, although details regarding its exact origin is still unclear. These effects can happen when a singer might ad-lib or improvise at the end of a song while the chorus continues the refrain. These singers are generally accompanied by either a guitar or other instruments, which is an excellent example of homophony as they are carrying the primary melody with their voices and musical instruments accompany them ( source).Īlthough most modern pop songs are homophonic by nature due to the presence of a single clear melodic line, they can often temporarily incorporate polyphonic effects. Most choral music, such as Protestant hymns and barbershop quartets, fall into the homophonic category, as does a small instrumental combo where, for example, a bass, a piano, and a drum set provide the rhythmic background for a trumpet solo.Įasily the most common and recognizable form of homophonic texture in music is the commercially-produced music we listen to from individual singers. Homophonic music is the most natural texture in Western music and easily recognizable even by the layman. However, it will be clear that these accompaniments exist to fill in the melody rather than serve as melodies themselves. ![]() In some well-written homophonic musical pieces, the accompanying parts may still have a melodic interest, meaning that they are interesting to listen to on their own. The other parts that make up this type of music are used to fill in the chords or serve as the accompaniment. Homophonic music has one clear melodic line, which is generally easily discernible. This article will take an in-depth look at what constitutes the difference between these textures and where they are most prevalent. Polyphony features many independent melodies, which we can also refer to as counterpoint or contrapuntal. ![]() Homophony is the most common texture in Western music and, when in one single rhythm, can also be referred to as homorhythmic. In contrast, polyphony refers to a piece of music consisting of a mix of melodies, each separate and independent, yet in harmony with the rest. Homophony refers to a piece of music that features a primary melody with accompaniment. The difference between polyphony and homophony is single versus multiple melodies. There are four main musical texture types: monophony, polyphony, homophony, and heterophony. Texture in music refers to the way that different sounds created by either musical instruments or singing contribute to the overall effect of the musical piece.
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