polyphony
/pəˈlɪf.ə.ni/ IELTSAcademic
noun
Polyphony is music with two or more independent melodies played or sung at the same time. Each line can be heard on its own, not just as background harmony.
- Bach's music is famous for its polyphony.
- The choir performed the piece with clear polyphony.
- The teacher explained polyphony using a simple canon.
Adinary Nuance
Polyphony is not the same as harmony. Harmony means notes supporting a main melody, while polyphony means several melodies moving together. It is also different from monophony, which has only one melody line. Writers use polyphony when they want to stress independence between the voices.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- đa âm
- Spanish
- polifonía
- Chinese
- 复调
- Japanese
- 多声音楽
- Korean
- 다성음악
Etymology
Polyphony comes from Greek: poly- meaning “many” and -phony meaning “sound” or “voice.” It entered English through music writing in the 16th century.
Common phrases
vocal polyphonypolyphony in musicrich polyphony
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is polyphony the same as harmony?
- No. Harmony supports one main melody, but polyphony has several independent melodies.
- Is polyphony a common word in everyday English?
- No, it is more common in music, art, and academic writing.
- Can polyphony be used outside music?
- Yes. It can describe many voices or ideas happening together in a text or speech.