"False" Polyphony

James Romig: Sonnet 2

Another device composers use to create polyphony is based on an aural illusion. It involves sustaining a pitch, jumping to another register to pop out a single pitch, and rapidly returning to the original note at the same dynamic level. In James Romig's Sonnet 2, the following note appears in the score: "To create the illusion of sustained sound in the lower voice, the staccato note in the upper voice is to be played as quickly as possible before returning to the lower note."

The result akin to a flute duet. The technique works best in live acoustical spaces.