A time scale modification method employs separate bands obtained through an analysis polyphase filter bank with separate time-scale modification processing for the bands. The outputs are combined using a synthesis filter bank. Some constraints are imposed on the time-scale modification processing, such a limitation of the range of overlap adjustment values for bands other than the greatest energy band, to eliminate noise due to aliasing and inter-channel phase mismatch. This invention produces output quality considerably higher than conventional time-domain time-scale modification methods for general music signals with computational requirements comparable to those of conventional time-domain time-scale modification methods.