Polyphonic Melodies

Polyphonic means in the music world a type of texture in a song that comes from playing multiple but equal melodies at the same time to form a new sound. Comparatively, Homophonic means that one instrument or sound is accompanying a main melody (in other words one is the most important line and the other lines are merely laying the foundation and harmonies.

A good example of polyphonic music is R.E.M's Its The End of The World As We Know It during any chorus after the first few. The high voice part is adding a whole new line of words and melodies to envelope the entire song. A more classic rock version of the same style of laying on a new line over the top to an already repeated theme is often found in Meatloaf's music, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights from like 6:30 til the end of the song. Paradise is also a great example of a prog rock song.

One of the most intriguing aspects of polyphonic music is how complex the songs can get and how the melodies by themselves can be much weaker than together if not just plain boring. Again, many rock bands feature the style of starting with just one melody and adding the 2nd or third later. Actually... this isn't just a Rock style for polyphonic melodies.

Take for example probably the most famous classical polyphonic song: Canon in D by Pachebel. Although the cello part pretty much stays as an accompaniment for the higher pitched instruments, the violins in two parts and the violas all hold several different types of melodies throughout the song and they all blend to make a beautiful song. Canon pretty much means "round" and a round is a type of polyphony where one part has a melody and then another part plays the same or similar melody but starting later.

Another type of classical polyphony is a fugue. Johann Sebastian Bach was a huge fan of fuguing tunes, and a fugue is similar to a canon or round in that parts start with similar melodies at different times, however the parts come together for a cadence (fancy end of a theme chord) only to break up in their own melodies again. Here's a fuguing Bach choral work adapted for an orchestra and a leading voice: Alleluia.

Polyphonic music allows artists to add something new and work with extremely complex and powerful harmonies. Generally, it is harder to perform than homophonic music, since you may not always be able to base off where you are compared to what the other instruments or voices are doing. It takes a lot of practice and work to perform polyphonic music, and of course multiple people or tracks.

More polyphony: (most of the polyphony is toward the end of these songs)
Phish - Bouncing Round the Room
Barenaked Ladies - Another Postcard (only in the very end)
The Police - Don't Stand So Close to Me
Check the Rhime - A Tribe Called Quest (choruses)
Will Smith - Wild Wild West (and Stevie Wonder's original version of the tune I Wish in the end)
The second half of another simple prog rock song, Two Handmen by Mason Profit
Lots of electronic music has polyphony because it is very easy to add a new rhythm and line that works together with old sounds. Ex: Jeenge by Infected Mushroom, especially towards the end when they combine almost every sound you hear in the song.


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