The Organum, for example, expanded upon plainchant melody using an accompanying line, sung at a fixed interval, with a resulting alternation between polyphony and monophony.

He also mentions that, since no pieces of the collection employ plainchant melodies, they can also be used as 15 Magnificat settings.

In the early 9th century, the organum tradition developed by adding voices in parallel to plainchant melodies.

But its melodies are unshackled, and some of them soar and twist in ways that plainchant melodies never do.

The text of a clausula differs from that of the plainchant melody underneath it.

Rather than write entirely new music, the preference was to take existing music, that is, plainchant melodies, and develop or improve upon them.

The piece is one of several by Rachmaninoff to quote the Dies Irae plainchant melody.

The Roman Missal indicates several different plainchant melodies.

Divinum mysterium was a "Sanctus trope" - an ancient plainchant melody which over the years had been musically embellished.

Composers, including Martin Luther himself, both composed new tunes for the German chorale texts and adapted specific plainchant melodies.