Homophony

In music, homophony (/həˈmɒf(ə)niː, hoʊ-/;[1][2], Greek: ὁμόφωνος, homóphōnos, from ὁμός, homós, "same" and φωνή, phōnē, "sound, tone") is a texture in which a primary part is supported by one or more additional strands that provide the harmony.[3] One melody predominates while the other parts play either single notes or an elaborate accompaniment. This differentiation of roles contrasts with equal-voice polyphony (in which similar lines move with rhythmic and melodic independence to form an even texture) and monophony (in which all parts move in unison or octaves).[4] Historically, homophony and its differentiated roles for parts emerged in tandem with tonality, which gave distinct harmonic functions to the soprano, bass, and inner voices.

A homophonic texture may be homorhythmic, which means that all parts have the same rhythm.[5][6] Chorale texture is another variant of homophony. The most common type of homophony is melody-dominated homophony, in which one voice, often the highest, plays a distinct melody, and the accompanying voices work together to articulate an underlying harmony.[7]

Initially, in Ancient Greece, homophony indicated music in which a single melody is performed by two or more voices in unison or octaves, i.e. monophony with multiple voices. Homophony as a term first appeared in English with Charles Burney in 1776, emphasizing the concord of harmonized melody.[8]

  1. ^ "Homophony". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  2. ^ "Homophony". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020.
  3. ^ Tubb, Monte [in Dutch] (Fall 1987). "Textural Constructions in Music". Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy. 1 (1): 201. Article 14. Archived from the original on March 7, 2024 – via Carolyn Wilson Digital Collections.
  4. ^ McKay, George Frederick (2005) [1963, 1965]. Creative Orchestration (3rd ed.). Bainbridge Island, WA / Boston, MA: George Frederick McKay Music Publishing / Allyn & Bacon.
  5. ^ Griffiths, Paul (2004). "Homorhythm". The Penguin Companion to Classical Music. Penguin Group. p. 375. ISBN 978-0-14-051559-6. OCLC 61504797.
  6. ^ Randel, Don Michael (1999). "Homorhythmic". Written at Ithaca, NY. The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 305. ISBN 978-0-674-00084-1. OCLC 41951291.
  7. ^ Hyer, Brian. "Homophony". In Macy, L. (ed.). Grove Music Online.
  8. ^ McComb, Todd Michel (ed.). "What is monophony, polyphony, homophony, monody etc.?". Early Music FAQ. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
    "Homophony". The Online Etymology Dictionary. — gives 1768 as the date of earliest use of the term, ‘Homophony’, but gives no reference.
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