noun
canon
A musical composition in which parts repeat the same melody at different starting times.
The second voice enters the canon after the first phrase.
Etymology
Greek kanōn meant a rule or standard. A musical canon follows a prescribed rule of imitation, with later parts repeating the melody begun by an earlier part.
More examples
- Each singer repeats the melody in this canon.
- The students compose a simple three-part canon.
- The overlapping lines make the canon sound increasingly intricate.
Forms
canon · canons