Monophony

Monophony is music organized around a single melodic line, whether performed alone or with accompaniment that does not create an independent melody.

Polyphony: Musical texture in which two or more independent melodic lines sound simultaneously. Unlike monophony, polyphony gives multiple melodies independent melodic roles.
Melody: A succession of pitches perceived as a coherent musical line. Monophony is defined by how many melodic lines organize the texture.
Gregorian chant: The Latin liturgical chant tradition of the Roman Catholic Church, transmitted in a large medieval repertory. Its unaccompanied melodies are a prominent Western example of monophonic singing.
A cappella: Vocal music performed without instrumental accompaniment. An unaccompanied solo voice is a direct performance setting for monophony.
Homophony: Musical texture in which a principal melody is supported by accompanying chords or voices. Homophony contrasts a melody-plus-harmony texture with monophony’s single melodic line.
Musical texture: The way melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic parts relate in a piece of music. Monophony is one basic way musical parts can be organized.
Plainchant: A body of unaccompanied liturgical chant sung in free rhythm, especially in Western Christian traditions. Plainchant demonstrates monophony used for liturgical text and prayer.
Gregorian chant performance: The practice of singing Gregorian chant according to its liturgical and musical traditions. Chant performance applies monophonic singing to worship and ritual.
Heterophony: Musical texture in which performers sound simultaneous variations of the same melody. Heterophony preserves one shared melody while varying it across simultaneous parts.
Accompaniment: Musical support for a principal part, commonly provided by chords, rhythm, or sustained tones. Accompaniment can support a monophonic melody without supplying another melody.

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