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A single melodic line with no accompaniment — the simplest musical texture.
Monophony is powerful in its nakedness. Use it for openings (establishing a theme unaccompanied), for moments of stark drama, or for recitative-like passages. A monophonic statement creates maximum focus on the melody.
Gregorian chant — the entire repertoire is monophonic, proving that a single unaccompanied melody can carry immense expressive power.
Monophony is one of 228 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary, where every definition is written around how composers actually use the word.
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