descant in music meaning | TheMusicDictionary

1. An early form of harmony used in the Medieval era (c. 1000-1200) which developed from organum. The descant was formed by adding a part or parts to the tenor, differing from organum in that the parts moved not only in parallel motion but also in oblique and contrary motion. In descant, all the voices move at approximately the same speed.

2. The treble or soprano voice.

3. The soprano instrument in a family (e.g., the descant viol and the descant recorder).

Popular questions related to descant

What is a descant? Defined by Merriam-Webster as 'a superimposed counterpoint to a simple melody sung typically by some or all of the sopranos' – a descant is the perfect festive opportunity to show off. Contrary to a standard harmony, a descant almost always sits above the melody.

In music, a descant is a countermelody either composed or improvised above a familiar melody. The word can also refer to an instrument of higher-than-normal pitch, such as a descant recorder.

In music, a descant is an additional vocal part above the main melody. Many church hymns include a descant, sung at a higher pitch than the melody. Literary types use descant as a verb to mean "talk on and on in a dull way."

1. : to sing or play a descant. broadly : sing. 2. : comment, discourse.

The idea of a voice 'descanting' against a chant line – usually above it – led, through habit probably, to the higher voices being labelled descants, the term still interchangeable with 'soprano' in choral or recorder music.

A descant is a form of medieval music in which one singer sang a fixed melody, and others accompanied with improvisations.

Synonyms of descant (noun discourse) comment. criticism. discussion.

soprano singer Later on, the term came to mean the treble or soprano singer in any group of voices, or the higher pitched line in a song. Eventually, by the Renaissance, descant referred generally to counterpoint. Nowadays the counterpoint meaning is the most common.

There is also descant soprano line, often used in choral pieces, that is an higher extension of the soprano range, showcasing notes above the treble stave. It's tone colour can be described as: piercing, ringing, airy, bright and strong.

Contrary to a standard harmony, a descant almost always sits above the melody. Etymologically, the word itself means a voice (cantus) above or removed from the other voices. It differs from standard harmony because it normally sits above the melody.

Hymn tune descants are counter-melodies, generally at a higher pitch than the main melody. Typically they are sung in the final or penultimate verse of a hymn.