heterophony

noun

het·​er·​oph·​o·​ny ˌhe-tə-ˈrä-fə-nē 

plural heterophonies

: independent variation on a single melody by two or more voices

Examples of heterophony in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The same motifs are often played simultaneously at different speeds — a technique called heterophony — which subtly reinforces the dramatic narrative. — BostonGlobe.com, 24 Oct. 2021

His 1920s recordings with the Red Hot Peppers reached the peak of the New Orleans style of group embellishment and collective improvisation, with its trademark heterophony and polyphony. — John Edward Hasse, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Greek heterophōnia diversity of note, from heter- + -phōnia -phony

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above