---
title: "Homophonic — AP Music Theory Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "Homophonic texture means one main melody supported by accompaniment. Learn the CED's two subtypes, how to hear it on AP Music Theory, and how it differs from polyphony."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-music-theory/key-terms/homophonic"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP Music Theory"
unit: "Unit 2"
---

# Homophonic — AP Music Theory Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

Homophonic describes a musical texture in which one prominent melodic line is supported by accompanying material, with two CED subtypes on AP Music Theory: chordal homophony (all voices move together rhythmically) and melody with accompaniment (Topic 2.11).

## What It Is

Homophonic is the adjective you use to describe music where one [melody](/ap-music-theory/unit-2/melodic-transposition/study-guide/37yjbA6PqIr71IzgG9iY "fv-autolink") is clearly the star and everything else is there to support it. Think of a singer with [guitar](/ap-music-theory/unit-2/timbre/study-guide/bsRxhsl3B7KFb5YgsYGW "fv-autolink") chords behind them, or a church hymn where all four voices move in the same rhythm. The CED defines texture as how musical components combine simultaneously to form an overall sound, and texture type comes down to three questions. How many lines are there? Do those lines have melodic character of their own? How do they fit together?

The CED splits homophony into two flavors, and the exam expects you to know both. **Chordal homophony** (sometimes called homorhythmic texture) is when all the voices move in essentially the same rhythm, like a hymn. The melody is on top, but nobody underneath is doing anything independent. **Melody with accompaniment** is when one line carries the tune while the other parts play clearly subordinate material, like broken chords, an [Alberti bass](/ap-music-theory/unit-2/texture-devices/study-guide/qeppLtbtfyQ6Z4dE9lMd "fv-autolink"), or strummed harmonies. In both cases the defining feature is the same. There is one melody that matters, and the rest is support.

## Why It Matters

Homophonic texture lives in **Topic 2.11 (Texture and Texture Types)** in [Unit 2](/ap-music-theory/unit-2 "fv-autolink"), and it directly supports learning objective **2.11.A**, which asks you to identify texture types in both performed music and notated music. That dual requirement is the whole game. You have to recognize homophony by ear in a listening question and by eye in a score, where it usually looks like a top line with a distinct melodic shape sitting above rhythmically simpler or chordal lower parts. Homophony is also your reference point for understanding the other textures. Monophony has no [accompaniment](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/accompaniment "fv-autolink") at all, polyphony has multiple independent melodies, and heterophony has simultaneous variants of the same melody. Once homophony is solid, the other three are easier to define by contrast.

## Connections

### [Accompaniment (Unit 2)](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/accompaniment)

Accompaniment is literally half of the definition. Homophonic [texture](/ap-music-theory/unit-2/texture-texture-types/study-guide/A6RcZJWtcKHnp2uenmmJ "fv-autolink") exists because one line is melody and the other lines are accompaniment. If you can point to which part is the tune and which parts are support, you've already identified the texture.

### [Heterophony (Unit 2)](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/heterophony)

[Heterophony](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/heterophony "fv-autolink") is the texture students mix up with homophony because the names sound alike. In heterophony, multiple performers play versions of the same melody at the same time, slightly varied. In homophony, only one part has the melody at all.

### Polyphony and imitative counterpoint (Unit 2)

[Polyphony](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/polyphony "fv-autolink") is homophony's opposite number on texture questions. A fugue gives every voice an independent melody, while a homophonic hymn gives melodic interest to one voice only. Exam questions love asking you to compare these two in terms of melodic independence.

### Contrary and oblique motion (Unit 4)

When you write SATB voice leading later in the course, you're mostly writing chordal homophony. The motion types (contrary, oblique, parallel, similar) describe how those homophonic voices move relative to each other, so Unit 2's texture vocabulary feeds straight into Unit 4's part-writing rules.

## On the AP Exam

Texture shows up in multiple-choice questions that play an excerpt or show a score and ask you to name the texture. The classic move is a contrast question, like asking how the texture of a fugue differs from a simple church hymn in terms of melodic independence. The hymn is chordal homophony (one melody, dependent voices) and the fugue is imitative polyphony (several independent melodies). Be ready to go one level deeper than just saying 'homophonic.' If all parts share the same rhythm, call it chordal homophony. If the melody floats over arpeggios or sustained chords, call it melody with accompaniment. No released FRQ asks you to label texture by name, but recognizing a homophonic framework helps in sight-singing and harmonic dictation, where you're tracking a melody against a supporting bass line.

## homophonic vs polyphonic

Both textures have multiple lines sounding at once, which is why they get confused. The difference is melodic independence. In homophonic texture, only one line is a real melody and the others are support. In polyphonic texture, two or more lines each have their own melodic character and compete for your attention. Quick test when listening. If you can hum along to one obvious tune while everything else fades into the background, it's homophonic. If you keep getting pulled between different melodies, it's polyphonic.

## Key Takeaways

- Homophonic texture means one prominent melody supported by accompanying material, and it is one of the four main texture types in Topic 2.11 along with monophony, polyphony, and heterophony.
- The CED recognizes two subtypes of homophony, chordal homophony where all voices move in the same rhythm, and melody with accompaniment where subordinate parts support a single tune.
- Learning objective 2.11.A requires you to identify homophonic texture both by ear in performed music and by eye in notated scores.
- A church hymn is the textbook example of chordal homophony, while a fugue is the textbook example of polyphony, and exam questions frequently ask you to contrast them by melodic independence.
- Texture type is determined by the number of musical lines, the melodic character of each line, and how the lines combine simultaneously, so always ask 'how many real melodies are there?' first.

## FAQs

### What does homophonic mean in AP Music Theory?

Homophonic describes a texture where one melodic line is prominent and the other parts serve as accompaniment. It's one of the four main texture types in Topic 2.11, alongside monophony, polyphony, and heterophony.

### Is a hymn homophonic or polyphonic?

Homophonic, specifically chordal homophony. All four voices of a hymn move in the same rhythm with the melody on top, so the lower voices have no melodic independence. A fugue, by contrast, is polyphonic because every voice gets its own independent melody.

### What's the difference between homophony and heterophony?

In homophony, one part has the melody and the rest play subordinate accompaniment. In heterophony, multiple parts perform the same melody simultaneously with slight variations, so there's no melody-versus-accompaniment split at all.

### Are there two types of homophonic texture on the AP exam?

Yes. The CED names chordal homophony, where all voices share the same rhythm like a hymn, and melody with accompaniment, where one tune sits over clearly subordinate material like arpeggios or strummed chords. Multiple-choice questions can expect you to tell them apart.

### Does homophonic mean only one instrument is playing?

No, that's monophony. Homophonic music has multiple parts sounding at once. The point is that only one of those parts carries the melody. A solo flute line with nothing else is monophonic; a flute melody over piano chords is homophonic.

## Related Study Guides

- [2.11 Texture and Texture Types](/ap-music-theory/unit-2/texture-texture-types/study-guide/A6RcZJWtcKHnp2uenmmJ)

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