Is A Counter Melody An Example Of Polyphony?Ī counter melody is a second melody that is played at the same time as the main melody, which is an example of polyphonic music. What Type Of Music Is Polyphonic?Īn example of polyphonic music would be something like a fugue, where there are several different voices each playing their own melody, but they all work together to create a cohesive piece of music. The Renaissance period was also a big time for polyphony with composers like Josquin des Prez and Palestrina. Polyphonic music became more popular in the 14th century with composers like Guillaume de Machaut and Ars Nova. Some of the earliest examples of polyphonic music date back to the 11th and 12th centuries with organum, a type of Gregorian chant that added an extra voice to the original melody. Most of the music you hear today…jazz, pop, classical, film music, etc., is considered polyphonic music, but it has been popular for over 500 years.

These parts are usually performed simultaneously by different instruments or voices. In general, polyphonic music is made up of two or more independent melodies that are combined to make a single piece of music. I’ll jump into some details about each, give examples of types of music, and discuss ways they are different and similar. In this blog post, I wanted to focus on the “phonic” terms you’re going to hear in beginning music theory courses, polyphonic, homophonic, and monophonic. One of my goals is to break down these terms to help clear some of the confusion that comes with things like polyphonic, monophonic, homophonic, and counterpoint (which I wrote about in another article!)Įach type of music has its own unique characteristics and origins. There are so many phrases and different terminology in music theory that it can become quite cumbersome to navigate if you’re new to music composition and theory.

Homophonic vs polyphonic