Polyphony: many independent melodies
Polyphony is a musical texture with two or more independent melodic lines sounding at the same time. The word is Greek for many sounds. A round such as a canon and a Bach fugue are both examples.
Polyphony (say puh-LIF-uh-nee) comes from the Greek words poly, many, and phone, sound or voice. In a polyphonic piece, several melodies are heard together. Each has its own shape and rhythm, and each one matters. You can follow one voice for a while, then switch to another. Music that works this way is also called contrapuntal.
What does polyphony sound like?
Imagine a group of friends singing a round, such as Frère Jacques or Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Each person sings the same tune, but starts at a different time. Where the voices overlap you hear several lines together, and they still fit. That is polyphony in its simplest form. In more advanced music the lines are not always the same tune. They may move in different directions, with different rhythms, yet blend into a pleasing whole.
What are the main types of polyphony?
- Imitative polyphony: Voices copy each other, entering one after another with the same idea. Canons and fugues are examples.
- Free polyphony: The lines are independent, but they do not copy each other.
- Round or canon: The strictest form, in which each voice sings the same melody, entering at fixed intervals of time.
Where did polyphony come from?
Early polyphony grew out of plainchant, the single-line music of the medieval church. Singers began adding a second line above or below the chant, and over the centuries the lines became more elaborate. By the Renaissance, composers such as Palestrina wrote smooth choral music in four to six independent voices. In the Baroque period, Johann Sebastian Bach brought polyphony to a peak in his fugues, in which each voice enters with the same theme.
How is polyphony different from homophony and monophony?
| Texture | What you hear | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Monophony | One melody alone, no accompaniment | Plainchant, a solo singer with no backing |
| Homophony | One main melody, with chords beneath it | A hymn, or a singer with guitar chords |
| Polyphony | Two or more independent melodies together | A round, a Bach fugue |
In homophony, the voices move together, usually with the same rhythm, and one melody leads. In polyphony no voice just supports another. In monophony, there is only one line. Many real pieces mix these textures, moving from one to another.
How do you listen to or play polyphony?
Listen to one line at a time. Start by following the top voice, then the bass, then a middle voice. When you play, give each line its own shape: a rising phrase gets louder, a falling one softer. Pianists often practice each hand separately, then together. In a choir, singers must know their own part and also listen to the others, so that every entrance feels clear.
Listening tip: Try humming along with just one voice in a Bach fugue. If you can keep your line while the others move, you are hearing polyphony the way the composer intended.
The study of how to write good independent lines is called counterpoint. Counterpoint is the craft, and polyphony is the sound it produces.
Check yourself
1. What does polyphony mean?
Answer: Many sounds. From Greek poly and phone.
2. Which of these is an example of polyphony?
Answer: A Bach fugue. Each voice carries its own melody.
3. Which texture has one melody and no accompaniment?
Answer: Monophony. The prefix mono means one, so only one line sounds.
4. What is the craft of writing independent lines called?
Answer: Counterpoint. Counterpoint is the technique behind polyphony.