Doublevoice

Doublevoice is a term used across disciplines to denote the presence or duplication of two voices within a single work, performance, or phenomenon. It is not a single technique but a family of related ideas that involve two vocal perspectives, timbres, or ideologies appearing together.

In literature and linguistics, double-voiced discourse describes how a text or speaker conveys two distinct social voices or ideologies at once. Pioneered in Bakhtin’s work, it often occurs when a narrator or character quotes, echoes, or acknowledges another viewpoint, producing polyphony and highlighting power relations, irony, or critique within the discourse.

In music and audio production, double voice refers to two vocal lines heard simultaneously. In performance, this can mean a single performer singing two interwoven parts (the concept resembles Doppelstimme in certain styles) or two voices placed in close harmony. In recording, it commonly describes double tracking—laying down two nearly identical vocal takes to create a fuller, thicker sound. The term thus captures both live vocal technique and studio layering.

See also: Bakhtin, polyphony, heteroglossia, double tracking, vocal harmony, voice doubling, Doppelstimme.