In this example there are two melodies even indicated on most transcriptions:
What is that called? I’ve heard voicing layers and counterpoint but am not sure if this applies.
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Related: music.stackexchange.com/questions/56323/…– Richard is stepping down ♦Apr 15, 2018 at 20:33
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2 Answers
Another term for two or more simultaneous melodies (generally equally or nearly equally weighted) is polyphony.
answered Apr 15, 2018 at 16:43
The basic technique is called counterpoint. Accompanying a melody with another melody rather than homophony which is accompanying it with block chords.
Some music is clearly one or the other. A Bach fugue is predominantly counterpoint, a folk song with strummed guitar chords is homophony (until the guitarist starts introducing little echoes of the melody, as a good guitarist well might). Much (most?) music has elements of both. This piece certainly does. There's a chordal accompaniment and what we might call a 'countermelody'. That isn't a strict term - a fugue is full of 'countermelodies'. But it's maybe more appropriate where there's ONE main melody, ONE countermelody and a chordal accompaniment. 'Accompanied counterpoint'.
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So countermelody is when there's another melody in addition to one main melody, and in counterpoint the melodies are both as important? Apr 15, 2018 at 15:27
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2'Counterpoint' is the name for the overall technique of combining melodies. 'Countermelody' describes one way of using contrapuntal techniques. Yes, the countermelody is secondary to the main melody. There are exceptions. Irving Berlin was fond of writing songs with two melodies which could be sung independently and together. Each was a countermelody to the other! youtube.com/watch?v=IWDqTbm8t_o– LaurenceApr 15, 2018 at 15:36
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