In polyphonic music, two or more simultaneous melodic lines are perceived as independent even though they are related. ... A subcategory of polyphony, called homophony, exists in its purest form when all the voices or parts move together in the same rhythm, as in a texture of block chords.

What is the purpose of polyphony?

Classical instruments

In classical music, a definition of polyphony does not only mean just playing multiple notes at once but an ability to make audiences perceive multiple lines of independent melodies. Playing multiple notes as a whole, such as a rhythm from a chord pattern, is not polyphony but homophony.

Why is polyphonic texture important?

Polyphony Polyphony (polyphonic texture) is an important texture in all historic style periods. Rhythmic stratification, also called layers, results when two or more voices move at different but closely related levels of rhythmic activity. One voice may contain mostly quarter notes while another contains eighth notes.