Everything about Homophony totally explained
In
music,
homophony (from Greek "homófonos", where ομοιο = the same, and φωνή = a sound, tone) is a
texture in which two or more
parts move together in
harmony, the relationship between them creating
chords. This is distinct from
polyphony, in which parts move with rhythmic independence, and
monophony, in which all parts (if there are multiple parts) move in parallel rhythm and pitch. A homophonic texture is also
homorhythmic (or uses a "very similar rhythm"). However, in
melody-dominated homophony, one voice, often the highest, plays a distinct melody, and the accompanying voices work together to articulate an underlying harmony. Initially, in
Ancient Greece, homophony indicated music in which a single melody is performed by two or more voices in
unison or
octaves, for example monophony with multiple voices.
Homophony as a term first appeared in English with
Charles Burney in
1776, emphasizing the concord of harmonized melody.
History
Homophony in Western music
While homophony can be heard in nearly all European musical traditions, the first notated examples appeared during the
Medieval period in dance music, such as the
Estampie. However, because manuscript was expensive to produce, there's little record of Medieval homophony, most notated music being monophonic.
Homophony first appeared as one of the predominant textures in
Western music during the
Baroque period in the early 17th century, when composers began to commonly compose with vertical harmony in mind, the homophonic
basso continuo becoming a definitive feature of the style.
Jazz and other forms of modern popular music are generally homophonic, following
chord progressions over which musicians play a melody or improvise (see
melody-dominated homophony).
Homophony in non-Western music
Homophony has appeared in several non-Western cultures, perhaps particularly in regions where communal vocal music has been cultivated. When explorer
Vasco da Gama landed in West Africa in 1497, he referred to the music he heard there as being in "sweet harmony". While the concept of harmony in that time wasn't necessarily the same as the concept of homophony as understood by modern scholars, it's generally accepted that homophonic voice harmonies are commonplace in the
African music of today, singers moving in parallel
thirds or
fourths. For instance, the
Fang people of
Gabon have used homophony in some of their music.
In eastern
Indonesia (for example in the music of the
Toraja in
South Sulawesi, in
Flores, in
East Kalimantan and in
North Sulawesi), two-part harmonies are common, usually in intervals of thirds, fourths or fifths. Additionally, much
music of the Middle East is generally homophonic, although polyphony is also an important texture, while
Chinese music is generally thought to be homophonic, since instruments typically provide accompaniment in parallel fourths and fifths and often double the voice in vocal music,
heterophony also being common in China.
Melody-dominated homophony
In melody-dominated homophony, accompanying voices provide chordal support for the lead voice, which assumes the melody.
Sources
Further Information
Get more info on 'Homophony'.
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