{"id":2546,"date":"2023-06-06T10:41:52","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T16:41:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/?p=2546"},"modified":"2023-06-06T10:41:53","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T16:41:53","slug":"whats-it-called-when-two-people-sing-different-lyrics-at-the-same-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/whats-it-called-when-two-people-sing-different-lyrics-at-the-same-time\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s It Called When Two People Sing Different Lyrics At the Same Time?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Have you ever heard a song where multiple lyrics are sung at the same time and you wanted to know what that technique is called? Maybe you want to compose a song with that style. In today\u2019s article, we\u2019ll discuss the terms used to define this music method and then look at some modern examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-table-of-contents uagb-toc__align-left uagb-toc__columns-1 uagb-toc__collapse uagb-block-1c905205     \"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-scroll= \"1\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-offset= \"30\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTable Of Contents\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 384 512\"><path d=\"M192 384c-8.188 0-16.38-3.125-22.62-9.375l-160-160c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.75 0-45.25s32.75-12.5 45.25 0L192 306.8l137.4-137.4c12.5-12.5 32.75-12.5 45.25 0s12.5 32.75 0 45.25l-160 160C208.4 380.9 200.2 384 192 384z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__list-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ol class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#whats-it-called-when-two-people-sing-different-lyrics-at-the-same-time\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">What\u2019s It Called When Two People Sing Different Lyrics At the Same Time?<\/a><ul class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#how-do-the-lyrics-and-melodies-interact\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">How Do The Lyrics and Melodies Interact?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#what-is-polyphony\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">What is Polyphony?<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#what-is-counterpoint\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">What is Counterpoint?<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#why-is-this-not-a-canon-or-round\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Why Is This Not A Canon or Round?<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#what-is-a-music-mashup\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">What is a Music Mashup?<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#examples-of-counterpoint-in-popular-music\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Examples of Counterpoint in Popular Music<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#examples-of-mashups-that-use-counterpoint\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Examples of Mashups That Use Counterpoint<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#conclusion\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Conclusion<\/a><\/ul><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s It Called When Two People Sing Different Lyrics At the Same Time?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">When two vocalists sing different lyrics at the same time, it\u2019s almost always a form of polyphony called counterpoint; melodically speaking, that is. There is no specific term in songwriting for two sets of lyrics being sung at the same time, although this is called <a href=\"https:\/\/support.celtx.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/207834487-Dual-Dialogue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">dual dialogue<\/a> in script-writing or play-writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is usually not an example of canon, which is a slightly different type of polyphony we\u2019ll talk about later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Counterpoint of this format is often found in mashups, which is a common technique for sampling or covering songs. We\u2019ll also go over mashup in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do The Lyrics and Melodies Interact?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The exact definition of this music technique depends on how the lyrics and the music relate to each other. The singers may use the same melody but with different lyrics, or vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, in most the examples that I\u2019ve encountered, the vocals will usually <strong>perform different melodies and different lyrics<\/strong>. In that situation, we are dealing with counterpoint. Here\u2019s a quick breakdown depending on how the melodies and lyrics interact:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Same lyrics, different melodies: polyphonic counterpoint, usually in the form of vocal harmonies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Different lyrics, different melodies: also counterpoint, but usually not harmonizing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Same lyrics, same melodies: monophony<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Different lyrics, same melodies: a more confusing monophony<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we dive further into canons and mashups, let\u2019s define polyphony and counterpoint so you can understand how they work&#8230;and how to use them in your own music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Polyphony?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Polyphony is simply music with more than one melody.<\/strong> It\u2019s different than homophony, which is a melody being supported by chords. For music to be polyphonic, there should be two or more melody lines that are independent (they could be played alone and still be a full tune) but still blend with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In basic terms, here is the different between the most common forms of musical texture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Monophony<\/strong> \u2013 one melody by itself (you singing your fav song in the shower alone)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Homophony<\/strong> \u2013 a melody but with chord accompaniment (you singing but while playing guitar chords with it)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Polyphony<\/strong> \u2013 two or more melodies together (you and your friend singing different songs at the same time)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Counterpoint?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.perennialmusicandarts.com\/post\/counterpoint\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Counterpoint<\/a> is a form of polyphony where two or more melodies <strong>play together AND they are different melodies. <\/strong>As opposed to the same melody playing at different times, which we\u2019ll get to in the next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The melodies may carry the same weight in the song, or one overpower the other. Either way, both tunes could stand on their own yet also work well while playing together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In most situations the melodies will share the same music key and stay in the same tempo. However, that doesn\u2019t mean you have to do that! If you wanted to, then you could make one voice sing in the main key of the song and have a contrasting tune in another key for the second voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Is This Not A Canon or Round?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>When researching this topic, I came across several well-intentioned answers on internet forums and social media that claimed this type of polyphony is a canon or a round. But, if you actually look at the definitions of these terms, that is incorrect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A canon (also called a round) specifically refers to a musical piece where the same melody is played by multiple voices but start at different times. <\/strong>This is very similar to a fugue found in Renaissance music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A prime example of this technique is the children\u2019s song \u201cRow Row Row Your Boat\u201d. You can hear that each voice is singing the same lyrics and the same melody, but they start in different bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But most examples of different lyrics being sung together involve different melodies and lack the offset found in canons. So the term canon does not accurately describe the polyphony we\u2019re trying to identify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a Music Mashup?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/7-ways-to-be-a-cover-artist-on-youtube\/#6-mashup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">mashup<\/a> is a form of musical collage where multiple songs are paired together to form a new work. There are a few ways this technique is employed, with the most common being:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Overlapping melodies from two different songs,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Putting the melody of one song over the backing track of another,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Taking the verses from one song and pairing them with the chorus of another<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In all of these situations, you\u2019ll need several other musical factors to line up to make the end result sound coherent and consonant. Both songs should ideally share the same:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Music <a href=\"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/what-is-the-key-of-a-melody\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">key<\/a>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tempo, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Timing (i.e. they should both be in 4\/4, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if the original songs were not in the same key and tempo, they would normally be transposed to the same key (or perhaps even to <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parallel_key\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">parallel keys<\/a> if you\u2019re feeling adventurous).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A select number of mashups involve two different vocal lines from two different songs being overlaid, and are therefore prime examples of counterpoint.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Examples of Counterpoint in Popular Music<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we finish our review of the topic, let\u2019s look at some examples of counterpoint melodies that can be found in modern popular music. A few that I know from my own listening preferences include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cYou Know How I Do\u201d by Taking Back Sunday (at the bridge and outro starting around 2:07 min mark)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cLowest Part is Free\u201d by Archers of Loaf (in the verses starting at 0:28)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cFeeling This\u201d by Blink-182 (in the outro starting around 2:30)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Taking Back Sunday - You Know How I Do (Official Visualizer)\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NbVOHZMtnzE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Lowest Part Is Free!\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fdsQIdFCQCE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Feeling This\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OxOauT130Ss?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Examples of Mashups That Use Counterpoint<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, here are some examples of mashups that involve contrapuntal melodies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cJust The Way You Are\u201d\/\u201dJust A Dream\u201d from the movie <em>Pitch Perfect<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cWhen It Rains\u201d \/ \u201cIf It\u2019s Not With You\u201d by Dodie<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cTake On Me\/When I Come Around\u201d by Axis of Awesome (around the 3:05 mark)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Pool Mashup: Just The Way You Are\/Just A Dream\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6guB2QjQ12k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"When It Rains (If It&#039;s Not With You)\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SSQJ5WATPbM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Axis of Awesome - 4 Four Chord Song (with song titles)\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5pidokakU4I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>When a song involves two sets of lyrics being sung at the same time, it\u2019s usually a case of melodic counterpoint. There is no set term to define simultaneous lyrics being sung together, although this is called dual dialogue in other forms of writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a more advanced composition technique that requires some finesse. The two melodies for the two sets of lyrics still need to blend together. This usually means you\u2019ll have to sync up of the rhythm and keys of both tunes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for stopping by my site! If you found this article helpful, then here are a few more you may like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/what-do-songs-need-other-than-melody\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">What Do Songs Need Other Than Melody?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/what-note-do-you-start-a-melody-on\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">What Note Do You Start A Melody On?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/is-melody-or-harmony-more-important\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Is Melody or Harmony More Important?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/how-many-melodies-should-a-song-have\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">How Many Melodies Should A Song Have?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever heard a song where multiple lyrics are sung at the same time and you wanted to know what that technique is called? Maybe you want to compose a song with that style. In today\u2019s article, we\u2019ll discuss the terms used&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2547,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"iawp_total_views":126,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,22],"tags":[7,6,12],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-thirdman-6193771.jpg",1279,853,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-thirdman-6193771-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-thirdman-6193771-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-thirdman-6193771-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-thirdman-6193771-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-thirdman-6193771.jpg",1279,853,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-thirdman-6193771.jpg",1279,853,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Deane","author_link":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/author\/deane\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Have you ever heard a song where multiple lyrics are sung at the same time and you wanted to know what that technique is called? Maybe you want to compose a song with that style. In today\u2019s article, we\u2019ll discuss the terms used...","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2546"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2548,"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546\/revisions\/2548"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiesongmakers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}