Related
Imitation in one line: one line says something, another line says it back.
The material is written once but heard two or more times — that is its entire value.
Why it is so useful
Because it solves polyphony's two problems at once:
| Problem | How imitation solves it |
|---|---|
| where does material come from | no need to keep inventing; one idea can be reused |
| how do several voices sound like one piece | the same material in different voices gives a unifying aural stamp |
So it is the most economical device in polyphony: least input (written once), strongest effect (unified voices).
The three variables
When writing, only three decisions really matter:
| Variable | Common choices | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| entry interval | unison / octave / fifth / other | an octave is the most unified; a fifth brings dominant colour; other intervals alter the mode |
| entry spacing | a bar / half a bar / shorter | the shorter the spacing, the tighter; at the extreme it becomes a stretto |
| strictness | strict / free | strict copies the intervals exactly; free adjusts them to the harmony (more common) |
The third is a practical trade-off: strict imitation sounds more unified but clashes more easily with the harmony. Real writing is usually approximately strict, adjusted locally.
How it differs from two related devices
All three reuse material, but in different directions:
| Device | How it repeats | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| repetition | same pitch, same voice | no movement |
| sequence | new pitch, same voice | horizontal (see [[concept:sequence |
| imitation | same material, different voice | vertical (this entry) |
In one line: a sequence carries the material upward; imitation hands it to another voice.
The extreme case: canon
If the imitation is complete and continuous — the whole line followed faithfully to the end — that is a canon. So the relation is:
Imitation is the device; canon is imitation taken to its limit.
Equally, every voice entry in a fugue is an imitation — a fugue organises imitation into an entire structure.
Diagram: material passed between voices
Listen: the entry interval
Imitation happens between voices, and this site's listening components are single-voice — so interval demonstrates the interval at which the second voice enters, which is one of imitation's key variables. For the effect of passing between voices, use the instances above; Bach's two-part inventions are the shortest route.
Common misconceptions
- "Imitation is repetition." Repetition stays at the same pitch in the same voice; imitation changes voice.
- "Imitation must be exact." Strict imitation is only one kind. Free imitation is more common — intervals
- "Imitation belongs to the Baroque." Jazz call and response, a pop lead trading with its backing vocals, and
- "Imitation and canon are the same." A canon is complete and continuous imitation; imitation itself is
Two different devices.
adjusted to fit the harmony.
a film score passing a theme between sections are all imitation.
the device, and may be used once before the music turns elsewhere. :::
Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Sources
- 模仿指一条旋律线在其他声部依次重现，属对位学通则
- 严格模仿与自由模仿、紧接模仿（stretto）的分类为通行对位教学表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.