Polyphony
A musical texture featuring two or more independent melodic lines sounding simultaneously.
Category
composition
Origin
Greek
Length
156 words · 1 min read
About Polyphony
Polyphony (from the Greek "poly" meaning many and "phone" meaning voice) describes music in which multiple voices or parts move independently, each carrying its own melodic interest. Unlike homophony — where one melody dominates over accompanying harmony — polyphonic writing treats each voice as equally important.
More composition terms
Sequence
View all compositionterms →The repetition of a musical pattern at successively higher or lower pitch levels.
CanonA contrapuntal composition in which a melody is imitated exactly by one or more voices entering in succession.
CounterpointThe art of combining two or more independent melodic lines simultaneously.
Twelve-Tone TechniqueA method of composition that treats all twelve chromatic pitches as equal, ordering them into a fixed row that governs the entire work.
OrchestrationThe art of assigning musical material to specific instruments within an orchestra to create desired timbres
See Also
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →