Polyphony and monophony in instruments

Polyphony is a property of musical instruments that

means that they can play multiple notes simultaneously.
Instruments featuring polyphony are said to be polyphonic. Instruments that are not capable of polyphony
are monophonic or paraphonic.

at a time. These synthesizers have at least two oscillators

that are separately controllable, and a duophonic keyboard that can generate two control voltage signals for
the lowest- and highest-note. When two or more keys are
pressed simultaneously, the lowest- and highest-note will
be heard. When only one key is pressed, both oscillators
are assigned to one note, possibly with a more complex
sound.

Synthesizer

1.3 Polyphonic

thesizer:
Moog Minimoog

The earliest polyphonic synthesizers were built in the late1930s, but the concept did not become popular until the
mid-1970s. Harald Bode's Warbo Formant Orguel, developed in 1937, was an archetype of a voice allocation
[1]
Typical monophonic syn- polyphonic synthesizer. Novachord by Hammond Organ Company, released in 1939, is a forefather product of
frequency divider organs and polyphonic synthesizer. It
uses octave divider technology to generate polyphony,[2]
and about 1,000 Novachords were manufactured until
1942.[3]
Typical duophonic syn- 1.3.1 Synths using octave divider

thesizer:
ARP Odyssey
See also: Synthesizer

1.1

Using an octave divider a synthesizer needs only 12 oscillators - one for each note in the musical scale. The
additional notes are generated by dividing down the outputs of these oscillators. To produce a note one octave
lower, the frequency of the oscillator is divided by two.
Polyphony is achieved so long as only one of each note in
the scale is played simultaneously.[4]

Monophonic

A monophonic synthesizer or monosynth is a synthesizer that produces only one note at a time, making it
smaller and cheaper than a polyphonic synthesizer which
can play multiple notes at once. This does not necessarily refer to a synthesizer with a single oscillator; The
Minimoog, for example, has three oscillators which are
settable in arbitrary intervals, but it can play only one note
at a time.

1.3.2 Synths using voice allocation

In the early 1970s, Allen Organ Company, E-mu Systems
and Yamaha independently developed digital keyboard
scanning and voice allocation technology, and the results were known as Oberheim 2/4/8-voices licensed by
E-mu Systems[5] and Yamaha GX-1.

Well-known monosynths include the Minimoog, the

Roland TB-303, and the Korg Prophecy.

1.4 Number of voices

1.2

Duophonic

One notable early polyphonic synthesizer was the

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, which was released in 1978
Duophonic synthesizers, such as the ARP Odyssey and and had ve-voice polyphony. Six-voice polyphony was
Formanta Polivoks built in the 1970s and 1980s respec- standard by the middle 1980s. With the advent of digitively, have a capability to independently play two pitches tal synthesizers, 16-voice polyphony became standard by
1

the late 1980s. 64-voice polyphony was common by the

middle 1990s and 128-note polyphony arrived shortly after. There are several reasons for providing such large
numbers of simultaneous notes:
Even with only ten ngers, it is possible to play more
than ten notes at once. Notes may continue to sound
even after a key is released. The synthesizers resources may still be in use to produce the sound of
the previously struck notes tapering o, especially
when a sustain pedal is used.

OTHER INSTRUMENTS

been reached, the person playing the instrument

must stop playing one or more notes in order to trigger new ones.
In highest note priority, new notes that are higher
in pitch than ones being already played replace currently playing notes from the lowest on up.
Lowest note priority works in the same way, but
cuts notes from the highest down.

Modern synthesizers and samplers may use additional,

A sound (also called a timbre or patch) may multiple, or user-congurable criteria to decide which
be generated by more than one oscillator or sound- notes sound.
source to allow more complicated sounds to be produced. A synthesizer with 16 oscillators may be
capable of 16-note polyphony only when simple,
single-oscillator sounds are produced. If a particular
patch requires four oscillators, then the synthesizer
is only capable of four-note polyphony.
Synthesizers may be congured to produce multiple
timbres (multitimbral), particularly necessary when
sounds are layered or sequenced. Multitimbral instruments are always polyphonic but polyphonic instruments are not necessarily multitimbral. Some
multitimbral instruments have a feature which allows the user to specify the amount of polyphony
reserved or allowed for each timbre.

1.5

Note priority of synthesizer

Synthesizers generally use oscillators to generate the electric signal that forms the basis of the sound, often with
a keyboard to trigger the oscillators. However, multiple oscillators working independently are a considerable challenge to implement. To double the polyphony,
not only must the number of oscillators be doubled but
the electronics must also function as a switch connecting
keys to free oscillators instantaneously, implementing an
algorithm that decides which notes are turned o if the
maximum number of notes is already sounding when an
additional key is pressed. There are several ways to implement this:

Each key on an acoustic piano is connected to its own hammerand-string sound-producing mechanism.

2 Other instruments
2.1 Keyboard instruments
2.1.1 Acoustic keyboard instruments

Almost all classical keyboard instruments are polyphonic.

Examples include the piano, harpsichord, organ and
clavichord. These instruments feature a complete soundgenerating mechanism for each key in the keybed (e.g., a
piano has a string and hammer for every key, and an or Turn o the rst note sounded and use the newly gan has at least one pipe for each key.) When any key is
freed oscillator to play the new note. With last note pressed, the note corresponding to that key will be heard
priority, priority is based on the order in which as the mechanism is activated.
keys are played. When new notes are triggered
Some clavichords do not have a string for each key. Inwhile all voices are playing, the synthesizer frees
stead, they will have a single string which will be fretted
up polyphony by ending the earliest played sounding
by several dierent keys. Out of the keys that share a
note. This is the default mode on most synthesizers.
single string, only one may sound at a time.
Turn o the last note sounded and use the newly
freed oscillator to play the new note
2.1.2 Electric keyboard instruments
Ignore the newly depressed note. With rst note
priority, earlier notes are not cut o to make room The electric piano and clavinet rely on the same princifor later ones, and once maximum polyphony has ples to achieve polyphonic operation. An electric piano

2.2

Stringed instruments

has a separate hammer, vibrating metal tine and electrical ing because of two factors: there is no fret making one
pickup for each key.
to learn more basic musical theory including accurately
With a few exceptions, electric organs consist of two ngering techniques to know the right notes to play and
parts: an audio-generating system and a mixing system. there is only one bow covering from one to four strings
The audio-generating system may be electronic (consist- simultaneously. One needs to control the pressure, speed
ing of oscillators and octave dividers) or it may be elec- and angle well for one note before having an ability to
tromechanical (consisting of tonewheels and pickups), play the multiple notes at acceptable quality expected by
and it sends a large number of audio outputs to a mixer. the composers. This normally takes year or so. Thus,
the violin family of instruments are misleadingly considThe stops or drawbars on the organ modify the signal
sent from the audio-generating system, and the keyboard ered (when bowing) by general untrained musicians to be
primarily monophonic. However, it can be polyphony by
switches the mixers channels on and o. Those channels
which are switched on are heard as notes corresponding both pizzicato (picking) and bowing techniques for standard trained soloists and orchestra players. The evidence
to the depressed keys.
can be seen in compositions since the 17th century such
as Bach sonatas and partitas for unaccompaniment solo
violin which some movements such as the Chaconne (the
2.2 Stringed instruments
5th of second partita in D minor) of these considered to
be very hard for other instruments also. Many violin vir2.2.1 Classical instruments
tuosi often compose music using multiple notes on a single instrument in their showpieces. Additionally, guitarre
In classical music, a denition of polyphony does not only
(play by picking like a guitar) can be another extended
mean just playing multiple notes at once but an ability
technique for polyphonic producing tone of these instruto make audiences perceive multiple lines of melodies.
ments.
Playing multiple notes as a whole such a rhythm from a
One might think that the multiple notes playing on a sinchord pattern is not polyphony but homophony. Theregle acoustic violin should produce the same feeling as by
fore, polyphony in classical music is a technique to dean acoustic guitar but oppositely the sound is often more
scribe clavier ways of using a less number of sources to
similar to electrical guitar chord leading to less usual to
produce a more number of sounds rather than just inplay the violin chord in a rhythm part for sweet popcreasing a new mechanical to produce notes in new inular songs. Drones which are types of harmonic susstruments which is not ecient as a sound perception of
tain notes (long harmonic notes) are more usual in nonhuman has its limitation to tracking multiple sources (auclassical music than chords. Apart from playing all simulditory scene analysis and lossy compression such as mp3
taneous notes directly, successively playing double stopmight explain this phenomenon) and usually associated
ping could lead to guitar chord feeling and a perceptually
with counterpoint theory. Moreover, the sounds generate
more notes can be done via multiple stopping followed
by instruments does not have only notes and dynamics but
by changing the last notes at the same bow which cannot
tone colors. Some instruments produce more tone colors
achieve the same eect when playing with some keyboard
via even a single note but some play multiples notes with
instruments as they will break the sounds (however, the
less variations of the tone colors. Some instruments can
keyboard instruments can have other eects considered
give clear variations of articulations than others but some
non-producible by neither guitar or violin). Both of these
do not. Thus, classical polyphony cannot directly be concan be seen in many music by Niccolo Paganini.
sidered by just a number of simultaneously playing notes.
Some non-mainstream classical instruments include
Stringed instruments may be polyphonic if they have a
strings which are fretted and plucked like those on a guiseparate string for each note to be played; also, if they
tar, plus secondary strings which resonate and provide reare played with the ngers such as guitar and violin, the
verberation on a few key notes. When playing a single
polyphony can have greater rhythmic independence but
note, it is technically not polyphony, but it can be used
limit by a mechanical of these instruments to produce all
to simulate polyphony. However, when playing multiple
dimensions of good quality sounds. The harp has a large
notes, it is physically polyphony.
number of strings, one for each note in the scale, and it
is played with eight ngers, so it is polyphonic; the guitar has multiple strings, is usually chorded and not played
one string at a time, so it is polyphonic; The classical guitar music are also composed to have eects of multiplenote perception even though these notes are not play at the
same time but repeatedly in the right pattern and speed. 2.2.2 Newer instruments
This is a good example for the meaning of polyphonic in
classical style playing.
A classical violin has multiple strings and indeed is poly- The electric guitar, just like the classical guitar, is polyphonic but harder for some beginners to play multiple phonic, as are various guitar derivatives (including the
strings by bowing within a month of the rst-time train- harpejji and the Chapman stick).

2.3

Wind instruments

[4] Gordon Reid. Synth secrets, part 21. Sound on Sound.

No. January 2001.

Multiphonics can be used with many regular wind instruments to produce two or more notes at once, although
this is considered an extended technique. Explicitly polyphonic wind instruments are relatively rare, but do exist.
The standard harmonica can easily produce several notes
at once.
Multichambered ocarinas are manufactured in a number of varieties, including double, triple, and quadruple
ocarinas, which use multiple chambers to extend the ocarinas otherwise limited range, but also enable the musician to play more than one note simultaneously. Harmonic ocarinas are specically designed for polyphony,
and in these instruments the range of the chambers usually overlap to some extent (typically at the unison, third,
fourth, fth, seventh or octave). Cross-ngering enables
a single chamber to span an entire octave or more.
Recorders can also be doubled for polyphony. There are
two types of double recorder; drone and polyphonic. In
the drone type, one tube is tuned exactly like a regular
recorder with a range of approximately two octaves, and
the other tube is a drone and plays the tonic note of the
scale. The polyphonic recorder has two tubes with a range
of one major sixth. With overblowing, some notes can be
played an octave higher, but it is not possible to achieve
the range of an entire octave in one tube with these instruments.
Double Zhaleikas (a type of hornpipe) also exist, native
to southern Russia.

See also
Electronic musical instrument#Polyphony
Monophonic (synthesizers)
Paraphony

Formal classication system

Musical instrument classication
HornbostelSachs

References

[1] Tom Rhea (2004). Harald Bode biography. New York:

Experimental Television Center Ltd. Archived from the
original on 2011-07-19. (also broken format page is remained here)
[2] Novachord Schematics. novachord.com.
[3] Introduction to the Hammond Novachord.
chord.com.

REFERENCES

nova-

[5] The History Of Emu Systems. 30 Years of Gears. MIT

Media Lab.

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