a melody designed to fit against a more important line
Countermelody
Related Dictionary Terms
Accompaniment
Shared keywords
support provided by harmonically or melodically to the main theme in a piece of music, which although designed to be subordin…
Homophonic
Shared keywords
a musical composition for 2 or more parts with a single melody line, all other parts serving as accompaniments
Homophony
Shared keywords
a musical composition for 2 or more parts with a single melody line, all other parts serving as accompaniments
Chordal
Shared keywords
a form of music in which a single melody is accompanied by sets of chords, instead of a competing counter melody
Cantus
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Latin
melody at the top of a polyphonic piece, often set over a tenor line
Double counterpoint
Shared keywords
a method of counterpoint in which a second melody is added to an existing melody
Basso ostinato
Shared keywords
ground bass, a pattern repeated several times over in the bass line to accompany one or more ever varying upper parts
Durchkomponiert
Shared keywords
German
applied to songs which use a new melody for each verse rather than a single melody throughout