In order to place the analysis of this melodic feature in its historical context, the output of this analytical system was compared to eighteenth century conceptions of implied polyphony. Both the related repertoire and the theoretical treatises of the time suggest that implied polyphony was typically explained as a technique of arpeggiation. Evidence for this is found in the repertoire for the lute, where arpeggiation was used to allow for the performance of polyphonic passages and thereby compensate for the lute's inability to produce sustained tones. The treatises of Mattheson, Kirnberger, and Heinichen then confirm that eighteenth century composers typically described implied polyphony as a way of using arpeggiation to embellish a melodic line, disguise an otherwise unacceptable melodic progression, or delay the resolution of dissonance.

In comparison to these historical descriptions, Bach's use of implied polyphony is far more varied and complex than simple ideas of arpeggiation and dissonance resolution can explain. Based on the detailed analysis generated from the system mentioned above and on results from empirical studies of perception, it is proposed that Bach instead used implied polyphony as a means of applying irregular accent patterns to the surface of the music, thereby preserving one of the basic aspects of meter in Baroque instrumental music by creating purposeful and engaging activity at even the fastest levels of the metric hierarchy.