| Polyphonic music is composed of two or more rhythmically independent parts that sound at the same time. In polyphonic composition, the individual melody lines receive greater emphasis than the resultant harmonies. This leads to differences in how polyphonic music is written and in how one listens to the music. For example, homophonic music (written with one harmonized line) is relatively free of distractions to the ear, thus is natural to follow. In contrast, to fully appreciate polyphony, a listener is required to focus on the individual melody lines and on the full harmonic scheme that results from the interaction of the separate parts. |
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