POLYPHONY definition: 1. music in which several different tunes are played or sung at the same time 2. music in which…. Learn more.
Polyphony, any music in which two or more separate tones or melodic lines are sounded simultaneously.
Polyphony, also known as a counterpoint or contrapuntal music, is a formal musical texture that contains at least two or more lines of independent melody. It’s believed to be the least popular among all three textures.
Polyphony, from the Greek ‘poly’ (many) and ‘phone’ (voice/sound), represents a cornerstone of musical texture characterized by the simultaneous combination of two or more independent melodic lines.
The word polyphony comes from the Greek for 'many sounds', which gives you an instant clue as to how the term is used in relation to music. What is polyphony? Polyphony is essentially a term used to describe the simultaneous use of two or more melodies (or voices) within a composition.
The meaning of POLYPHONY is a style of musical composition employing two or more simultaneous but relatively independent melodic lines : counterpoint.
Many styles of polyphony are heard in traditional world music. Perhaps the oldest is a polyphony that consists of a single melody line with a drone. A drone is a note or a collection of notes that are sustained while the melody plays. Bagpipes are a good example of this kind of polyphony.
There are three types of polyphony in Georgia: complex polyphony, which is common in Svaneti; polyphonic dialogue over a bass background, prevalent in the Kakheti region in Eastern Georgia; and contrasted polyphony with three partially improvised sung parts, characteristic of western Georgia.