Which description matches homophony?

• A. One main melody with harmonic accompaniment.
• B. Two or more independent melodic lines.
• C. A single melodic line without harmony.
• D. A repeating rhythmic motif.

Answer: (A)

Homophony describes a texture where one voice carries the main tune while other voices or instruments provide chords and harmony to support it. The key idea is a clear melodic line with a harmonic backdrop, not competing melodies. Describing it as one main melody with harmonic accompaniment captures that relationship perfectly: the melody stays prominent, and the accompaniment supplies the harmony behind it.

If there were two or more independent melodic lines, that would be polyphony, where each line moves with its own rhythm and contour. A single melodic line without harmony is monophony, which has no harmonic backing. A repeating rhythmic motif focuses on rhythm rather than texture, so it doesn’t define homophony.