Podgolosok

(supporting voice), in folk songs, the voice that is sounded simultaneously with the principal melody. Often, a few podgoloski are attached to the main voice. There are several types, including podgoloski that are formed as extensions of the main melody, with which they merge again episodically {seeHETEROPHONY), and podgoloski that are relatively independent and are set off against the main voice. Another type of podgolosok consists of sustained tones in the upper and lower register. All of these types are encountered in Russian folk songs, but the many-voiced songs of the Don Cossacks, the Ukrainians, and the Byelorussians use only the podgolosok that is a solo part in the upper register (the treble; Russian diskant, or podvodka). Supporting voices are also characteristic of the songs of other peoples (for example, Negro spirituals).