noun
comes
KOH-meez
noun
1
In a fugue, the melodic answer that responds to the opening theme (the "dux"), usually entering in a different voice a few beats later.
"The comes enters in the alto line, echoing the opening subject a fifth higher."
"A student composer must learn how the comes should imitate, but not simply repeat, the dux."
How to Use Comes
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA specialist music-theory term for the "answering" line that follows and imitates the main theme in a fugue.
Memory tip
You will only meet this word in the context of classical music theory, specifically fugues (Bach is the classic example).
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
the comes answers the dux
entry of the comes
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Fill the Gap
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The _____ enters in the alto line, echoing the opening subject a fifth higher.
Etymology
From Latin comes, "a companion" — the same root that gives us "count" (the noble title) and the French comte and conte.