![]() ![]() 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. The brief descriptions of each example are taken from Joseph Jordania’s book Choral singing in human evolution.ĭrones don’t feature a great deal in traditional Russian polyphonic singing, but there is a special sub-type of drone polyphony in the Belgorod district – a double drone on the fifth, framing the melody from both sides (from below and above).Homophones and top examples for English learners | What are homophones?Įach type of music has its own unique characteristics and origins. I’m not going to explain which sub-type of drone polyphony each example is, I’ll leave that up to you to spot. This mix and match idea can go on forever! examples of drone polyphony Some traditions have the drone in the highest part, sung by women.į) mixed drone types: for example, more than one drone both rhythmic and pedal drones at the same time solo drones vs. Having the drone in the middle is far more common in many polyphonic traditions. ![]() ![]() Or it can remain in the same tonal system as the rest of the song as, for example, in Latvia.Į) drone in middle, top or bottom: the drone doesn’t always have to be the bass or lowest part. This happens a lot in Georgian table songs. Or a drone can change by a fourth or a fifth – typical of the new polyphonic singing style in the Balkans.ĭ) modulating or non-modulating: when the drone moves by one note (a second), it can lead to modulation (or a key change). A rhythmic drone follows (most of) the syllables in the lyrics.ī) single note or moveable drone: a drone can stay on a single note throughout the song, or it can change from time to time.Ĭ) narrow-range or wide-range drone: a drone can move by just one note (an interval of a second) – this is common in the Baltics. It is often sung on a vowel such as ‘U’ or ‘O’. For example:Ī) pedal or rhythmic drone: a pedal drone is when a note is sung continuously against the melody. There needs to be at least two parts to the song: the melody and the drone, but it can also be more complex with melody, harmonies and more than one drone.ĭrone polyphony is one of the most important members of the polyphonic family and has one of the biggest numbers of the subtypes. It is often (but not always) the lowest part of the song. drone polyphonyĪ drone is when a note is held continuously throughout most of a song. Last week, in part 1, I wrote about parallel polyphony. When they do, it can take many different forms. Not every culture has polyphonic or multi-part singing. ![]() I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples. Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |