ABSTRACT
A monodic instrument is one that normally plays one note at a time. All woodwind and brass instruments are monodic. Stringed instruments also can be considered to be monodic, even though they are capable of playing double-, triple-, and quadruple-stopped chords. However, stringed instruments do not usually play streams of chords, in the way that keyboard instruments do. Thus, pianos, organs, and other keyboard instruments, as well as guitars and harps, are not monodic.
