Thread 126846696

What is polyphony?
Like how do you listen to something and say Yeah that's polyphony?

>>126846696 (OP)
Google it.

>>126846908
I just hear a melody and a bass line. Are there two melodies going on here? I literally can't tell

I think there are two definitions. The classical definition is two independent melodic lines playing "simultaneously"

In modern music production, it can also refer more specifically to hearing sounds from multiple tracks literally simultaneously. You could have a classically polyphonic composition with two tracks but make it so sounds from each track never actually truly overlap with each other (instead always separated by at least a tiny bit of time) which would be considered monophonic in the other definition

Is the chorus of this song polyphonic?
https://youtu.be/jlQ9UjM_1d8?si=fSCwDFwvjZL391WT

poly many phonics sounds. multiple sounds occurring at the same time. so simple, so easy to understand. any instrument that plays at the same time as another instrument, or any instrument that plays multiple notes at the same time.

>>126848778
It also is another word for counterpoint

>>126846696 (OP)
>>126848778
>>126847782
It can apply to how many simultaneous notes are played as well as to timbre - that is, how many different types of characters can be brought out of one instrument.
With synths, polyphony is how many layered notes it's capable of on top of the one note you're striking.
But with timbre, polyphony can also be how many voices the instrument is capable of imitating. Some instruments only ever sound like themselves and remain that way. Like a flute or sax. But a piano or guitar is many voiced. A classical guitar, without even any effects or amps, can be plucked to in multiple ways to produce different characters.
Piano too has many voices contained with it and why composers can practically create all the orchestra parts in a small "template" form all on a piano. You can imitate strings or the flute section or whatnot. Organ is the king of instruments, so called..and every pipe is calibrated to imitate other instruments. Although most people are used to hearing all of the pipes together and you get that booming church organ sound.
Synths:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IJUG4uujzA

Timbre
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2zZl7Vifzw