Meaning & use
polyphony in music
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrasetechnicalmusic
A style of music in which two or more independent melodic lines are played or sung at the same time.
Grammar: This phrase names a musical concept; in writing, use 'polyphony' alone as an uncountable noun.
Patterns
- polyphony in music
- a piece with polyphony
- the polyphony of the voices
The choir performed a Renaissance piece full of polyphony in music, with each voice moving independently.
In music theory class, we studied polyphony in music from the Baroque period.
Bach's fugues are famous examples of polyphony in music.
Common combinations
- polyphonic music
- Polyphonic music often sounds rich and complex.
- polyphonic texture
- The composer created a polyphonic texture by layering several melodies.
- vocal polyphony
- The group specializes in vocal polyphony from the Middle Ages.
Synonyms and how they differ
- counterpoint
- Counterpoint is the technique of combining independent melodies; polyphony is the resulting texture.
- multivocal music
- A rare term for music with many independent voices; polyphony is the standard term.
Opposites
Word family
- polyphonic adjective
- Describing music with two or more independent melodic lines.
- polyphonically adverb
- In a polyphonic manner.
- polyphony noun
- The musical texture of independent simultaneous lines.
Commonly confused: polyphony in music or homophony?
polyphony in music vs homophony
Homophony has one main melody with chords accompanying it, while polyphony has several independent melodies at once.
Practice
What does 'polyphony in music' refer to?
Choose one answer.
Polyphony means multiple independent melodic lines sounding together. Option A describes monophony, and C and D are unrelated to texture.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “polyphony in music”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.