Meaning of Imitation in Music
Imitation in music refers to a composing technique where a melody or musical phrase is played or sung and then repeated in a different voice or instrument. It is a device used to create musical unity and variation within a composition.
In counterpoint, imitation occurs when a second voice, usually at a different pitch, repeats a short phrase imitatively. This repetition marks the beginning of a series of imitative entries in a contrapuntal composition ).
Imitation has been used in various musical styles throughout history. In European classical music, it was prominently featured in the highly polyphonic compositions of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. In Arab and Indian vocal music, a more improvisatory form of imitation can be found, where instrumentalists accompany vocalists in vocal improvisations with imitation ).
Imitation can also be observed in pop music, where a common clichéd form of imitation consists of a background choir repeating the last notes of the lead singer's last line ).
Overall, imitation in music serves as a technique for creating musical cohesion, variation, and unity within a composition.
1. The repetition in a second voice or part of a theme, motif, or phrase presented by a first voice or part. The first presentation of the theme is called the antecedent, the answer is called the consequent, and is usually a different pitch from the antecedent. The antecedent usually continues while the consequent is coming in, and the consequent need not imitate the antecedent exactly, but may vary the tune slightly.
2. The imitation by music of natural sounds such as bird songs , rain, thunder, etc.
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