Hear a canon: one melody, two starting times
One tune can overlap with itself. Compare two original Coru recordings, find the second entrance and check exactly what each voice is doing.
First, hear the melody together
A canon follows a rule of imitation. In this simple example, the second voice plays exactly the same pitches and rhythm as the first, starting later. Other canons can change the pitch level or transform the melody; the University of Minnesota source below explores those possibilities. Here, “voice” means a musical part, not a person singing.
Play the eight-second unison version first. Two synthesized sounds follow the melody together: a brighter sound and a rounder one. Their notes start together, so listen for one shared melodic line. The opening turns around one note, then jumps upward to a longer note.
1. Unison: both voices start together
1. Unison: both voices start together
Transcript
Instrumental synthesized tones; no speech. Both voices play together throughout. 0:00–0:02: G–A–G, then an upward leap to E. 0:02–0:04: B–C–B, then an upward leap to a higher G. 0:04–0:06: E–D–C–G descending. 0:06–0:08: C–B–C; the final C lasts one second. Both voices finish at 0:08.
Now find the later entrance
Play the ten-second canon. The brighter voice begins alone. Listen for the opening pattern arriving again while the first voice continues. You do not need to identify individual notes or use headphones.
On a second listen, follow only the later voice from its entrance to the end. If your attention switches to the first voice, restart and concentrate on the little G–A–G turn. The two sounds help separate the parts, but the delay creates the canon.
2. Canon: the second voice enters later
2. Canon: the second voice enters later
Transcript
Instrumental synthesized tones; no speech. The brighter voice plays the eight-second melody from 0:00. The rounder voice starts the identical melody at 0:02. From 0:02 to 0:08 the two parts overlap at different points in the melody. At 0:08 the first voice finishes; the second plays C–B–C alone and finishes at 0:10. Each voice follows the four phrases described in the unison transcript.
The answer: two seconds, or four beats
The second voice enters at 0:02, four beats after the first at 120 beats per minute. Each voice plays the melody once. Both continue at the same speed. The second voice stays two seconds behind: it does not catch up. At 0:08 the first voice finishes, leaving the second to finish alone.
Compared with the unison recording, only the second voice’s starting time changes. Its notes, note lengths, sound and level stay the same. There is no added accompaniment. The overlap changes which notes you hear together.
Follow the whole piece without sound
Each letter below names a two-second phrase: P is the opening turn and upward leap; Q repeats that shape higher; R descends; S is the closing C–B–C. A dash means the voice has not started or has finished. Read each column vertically to see what coincides.
The canon in five time slots
Seconds 0–2 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10
Voice 1 P Q R S —
Voice 2 — P Q R SFor the unison version, both rows are P Q R S together, ending at eight seconds.
Try two checks
At 0:04, is the second voice starting P or Q? When the first voice reaches S, which phrase does the second play? Answer from the map, or replay the canon first.
Answers: Q, then R. Every phrase in the lower row sits one column after its counterpart above. Trace P–Q–R–S along each row to see that both voices complete the same melody.
Try the timing with a partner: each says “red, blue, green, gold” at one word per steady count. The second person waits one count before starting. Continue at the same pace. This models delayed entry; spoken words do not reproduce the musical pitches. Swap roles and notice who finishes last.