unison
7
5.4
- noun
- /ˈjunɪsən/
- Specialized
:
unísono
- Conductors may need an adagio piece in a minor key, for example, or a unison chant from Zimbabwe.
- sing in unison
- unison melody
- unison pitch
The first unison band and the high part of it right there.
- The first unison band and the high part of it right there.
Examples
-
"Read through the first four measures of the soprano line in unison."
Academic text (2003) -
Review the melodic line in unison, and then add harmonies as outlined by Salomon.
Academic text (2003) -
Actually, a million voices in perfect unison.
-
Meanwhile, in the stadium, thousands stand to sing in unison an anthem.
-
Good teachers emphasize beautiful, in-tune singing, whether the song is in unison or in parts.
Academic text (2003) -
At the ride cymbal crash, the piano entered and repeated the melody in unison with the guitar.
Academic text (2005) -
Reinforce pitch discrimination often by encouraging accurate unisons with the voice and instruments.
Academic text (2002) -
While third graders sing comfortably in unison, they also can handle simple rounds, descants, and countermelodies.
Academic text (2003) -
The taegum, a bamboo flute from Korea found on this recording, is played in unison with the singers.
Academic text (2008) -
The choir sang the hymn in unison, filling the church with beautiful sound.
Synonyms
2
6.7
A situation when events happen at the same time
A state of things happening at the same time
Antonyms
How Wide
Surface Forms
Morphology
unison = uni + son
The musical sense ('one sound' or same pitch) aligns with the literal components (uni- + son-), but because 'son' as 'sound' is not an independent modern English word, learners may not fully derive the meaning from the parts.
Etymology
Unison comes from Latin parts uni- 'one' and sonus 'sound', so it really means 'one sound'. In music that image is useful: when singers or players are in unison they make the same note together and sound as one.