During the Renaissance, composers freely embellished plainchant melodies to create new works of art music. This process, known as parody, involved taking an existing melody (often from a religious work) and using it as the basis for a new composition, often a polyphonic motet. The composer might add new voices to the melody, change the rhythm, or add new text. This practice allowed composers to create new music while still paying homage to the original melodies.