Download How to Represent Texture of a Musical

Elements of Music Project
Ms. Nash
Name: ________________________
Date Submitted:_______________________________
200 Hundred Possible Points
Criteria
Melody Graph
Perceptive
Listening Grid
Form
Texture
25
20
The graph represents
the melody, pitches are
in the right direction,
steps and leaps are
represented and length
(time) of pitches are
correct.
1-2 components of
the graph are
incorrect.
Points
15
10
3-4 components of 4-5 components of
the graph are
the graph are
incorrect.
incorrect.
3-4 sections of the
Each section of the grid 1-2 sections of the
grid are not
is complete and
grid are not complete
complete and
observations
and appropriate
appropriate
consistently use
vocabulary is
vocabulary is
appropriate vocabulary
somewhat used
occasionally used
throughout.
throughout.
throughout.
1 section of the piece 2 sections of the
Each section of the
is not labeled
piece are not
piece is accurately
accurately and the labeled accurately
labeled and the final
final form is
and the final form is
form is correct.
incorrect.
incorrect.
Texture image
accurately represents
the song characteristics _______________ _________________
and matches in
thickness, lightness, etc.
____
5 or more sections
of the grid are not
complete and
appropriate
vocabulary is not
used throughout.
____
3 or 4 sections of
the piece are not
labeled accurately
and the final form is
incorrect.
____
Texture image does
not represent the
song in anyway.
____
Appropriate
vocabulary is not
used. 3 or more
questions were
answered
incorrectly.
____
Critical
Review
Instrument
Catalog
Oral
Presentation
Visual
Presentation
Student used descriptive
Appropriate
Appropriate
words and appropriate
vocabulary is
vocabulary is
vocabulary to answer
occasionally used.
somewhat used. 1
essential questions.
2 questions were
question was
Each essential question
answered
answered incorrectly.
was answered correctly.
incorrectly.
All components are
present on the display
board.
1 component is not
displayed.
3 or more
2 components are
components are not
not displayed.
displayed.
____
Total---->
____
Teacher Comments:
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Elements of Music Checklist
_____Step 1
_____Step 2
_____Step 3
_____Step 4
_____Step 5
_____Step 6
_____Step 7
_____Step 8
_____Step 9
_____Step 10
Choose a short song. Unfortunately, rap may not be used due to melody restrictions. The
song must contain PG 13 content. Make sure that you have a copy to play for the class.
Obtain lyrics, song and artist information.
Complete perceptive listening grid.
Complete melody graph.
Complete texture representation.
Answer essential questions.
Compile all information on the display board. Be sure to follow display board guidelines.
Practice answering essential questions.
Complete the instrument and voice catalog.
Complete your critical review of the piece.
Essential Questions:
1. How many different elements of music are required to be considered a musical composition?
2. How is the form of a musical composition determined?
3. How does repetition give a piece of music a sense of unity?
FORM
ARTIST
PHOTO
TITLE OF SONG
A
A
B
A
MELODY GRAPH
SONG
INFO
LYRICS
Instrument
Critical
Review
and
PERCEPTIVE
LISTENING
CHART
TEXTURE
REPRESENTATION
Voice
Catalog
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Perceptive Listening Chart
Perceptive Listening__ the ability to discern musical characteristics and describe them.
Title of Piece
Rhythm
Tempo
Melody
Dynamics
Harmony
Complex, simple, ostinato, etc. Do you hear mostly long sounds, mostly short sounds, both long and short
sounds?
Tempo: Allegro, largo, adante, adagio, etc.
Does it move by steps, leaps, skips, up, down, etc. Does the melody include mostly high sounds, mostly
low sounds or both high and low sounds?
Forte, mezzo forte, mezzo piano, piano
Consonance and dissonance. Do you hear chords? Are the chords stacked (blocks of sound) or are they
broken stacks of sound?
Form
A, AB, ABA, Rondo, AABA, etc.
Texture
Expression
Dense, thick, light, how many instruments, large or small group, etc.
Expression: mood is peaceful, solemn, depressing, thrilling, fun, active, joyful, puzzling, scary, etc.
Practice Perceptive Listening
Title of Piece
Rhythm
Melody
Harmony
Form
Texture
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Melody Graph
PITCH notation is vertical (up and down).
TIME is horizontal (left to right).
This is the Frame of a music
graph.
To make identifying pitches
even easier, these lines are
viewed in groups of five.
In order to help the reader
quickly identify equally spaced
horizontal lines are used, as a
visual reference.
Many graphs do not use
horizontal or vertical lines in this
manner.
However, because of the unique
nature of music notation, these
horizontal lines are needed to
help quickly identify the pitch of
notes.
These five lines, called a
staff. Because the position of
these symbols defines TIME
and PITCH, the "frame" of
the graph is not needed.
This is a short section of a staff
without the frame.
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Melody Graph Practice #1
The melody graph you create
will contain no horizontal lines.
Remember, that high pitches
(sounds) are represented high on
the graph and low pitches are
represented low one staff. Time
(the length of the notes) must be
represented horizontally.
Melody Graph Practice #2
Melody Graph Practice #3
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Vocabulary
1. Rhythm__ the combination of sound and silence.
15. Tempo__ the speed of a piece of music.
2. Melody__ a logical succession of musical tones
16. Moderato__ moderately.
(pitches) combined with note durations (rhythms).
17. Allegro__ quick.
3. Harmony__ vertical blocks of different tones that
18. Andante__ walking speed.
sound simultaneously; a progression of chords.
19. Adagio__ slow.
4. Texture__ the way sounds are woven together.
20. Perceptive Listening__ the ability to discern musical
5. Form__ the organization of musical ideas.
characteristics and describe them.
6. Binary Form__ a two part form represented as AB.
21. Ostinato__ a repeated musical figure.
7. Ternary Form__ a three part form represented as
22. Hook__ the motive or “grabber” phrase in a song
ABA.
that often accompanies the words of the song’s title.
8. Rondo Form__ a form consisting of a recurring
23. Repetition__ repeating parts.
theme alternating with contrasting sections, represented
24. Imitation__ exact repetition between parts.
as ABACADA.
25. Step__ the distance between two neighboring
9. American Popular Song Form__ a standard 32-bar
pitches.
song form consisting of four sections of eight bars each,
26. Skip __ the distance between two notes that pass
in an AABA pattern.
over one neighbor.
10. Dynamics__ the loudness or softness in a musical
27. Leap__ the distance between two notes that passes
composition.
over more than one neighbor.
11. Piano__ soft dynamic level represented as p.
28. Interval__ the distance between two pitches.
12. Mezzo Forte__ medium loud dynamic level
29. Consonance__ absence of tension or discord in
represented as mf.
music.
13. Forte__ loud dynamic level represented as f.
30. Dissonance__ discord in music, suggesting a state of
14. Timbre/Tone Color__ the quality of sound (often
tension.
used to distinguish one instrument from another).
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Examples of Homophony
Introduction

Texture is one of the basic elements of music. When
you describe the texture of a piece of music, you are
describing how much is going on in the music at
any given moment. For example, the texture of the
music might be thick or thin, or it may have many
or few layers. It might be made up of rhythm only,
or of a melody line with chordal accompaniment, or
many interweaving melodies. Below you will find
some of the formal terms musicians use to describe
texture, and also some suggestions for introducing
young students to the idea of musical texture and to
these terms.
Terms that Describe Texture
There are many informal terms that can describe the
texture of a piece of music (thick, thin, bass-heavy,
rhythmically complex, and so on), but the formal
terms that are used to describe texture all describe
the relationships of melodies and harmonies. Here
are definitions and examples of the four main types
of texture.


Polyphonic
Polyphonic music can also be called polyphony,
counterpoint, or contrapuntal music. If more than
one independent melody is occurring at the same
time, the music is polyphonic. (See counterpoint.)
Examples of Polyphony

Monophonic

Monophonic music has only one melodic line, with
no harmony or counterpoint. There may be
rhythmic accompaniment, but only one line that has
specific pitches. Monophonic music can also be
called monophony.
Examples of Monophony




One person whistling a tune
A single bugle sounding "Taps"
A group of people all singing a song
together, without harmonies or instruments
A fife and drum corp, with all the fifes
playing the same melody
Choral music in which the parts have mostly
the same rhythms at the same time is
homophonic. Most traditional Protestant
hymns and most "barbershop quartet" music
is in this category.
A singer accompanied by a guitar picking or
strumming chords.
A small jazz combo with a bass, a piano,
and a drum set providing the "rhythm"
background for a trumpet improvising a
solo.


Rounds, canons, and fugues are all
polyphonic. (Even if there is only one
melody, if different people are singing or
playing it at different times, the parts sound
independent.)
Much Baroque music is contrapuntal,
particularly the works of J.S. Bach.
Most music for large instrumental groups
such as bands or orchestras is contrapuntal
at least some of the time.
Music that is mostly homophonic can
become temporarily polyphonic if an
independent countermelody is added. Think
of a favorite pop or gospel tune that, near the
end, has the soloist "ad libbing" while the
back-up singers repeat the refrain.
Homophonic
Homophonic music can also be called homophony.
More informally, people who are describing
homophonic music may mention chords,
accompaniment, harmony or harmonies.
Homophony has one clearly melodic line; it's the
line that naturally draws your attention. All other
parts provide accompaniment or fill in the chords.
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Heterophonic
A heterophonic texture is rare in Western music. In
heterophony, there is only one melody, but different
variations of it are being sung or played at the same
time.


heterophony. Listen for traditional music
(most modern-composed music, even from
these cultures, has little or no heterophony)
in which singers and/or instrumentalists
perform the same melody at the same time,
but give it different embellishments or
ornaments.
There are no examples of heterophonic
music that would be familiar to most
Western listeners.
Some Middle Eastern, South Asian, and
Native American music traditions include
How to Represent Texture of a Musical Composition
1. Listen to the piece several times.
2. Determine size of the group of musicians.
3. Decided on the number of vocalists and
instruments used.
4. Think of words all the sounds that happen at
once: thick, thin, lush, dense, etc.
5. Choose a painting or photograph to represent the
texture.
6. Create an abstract drawing of the texture.
7. Choose different materials to represent the
texture. Some materials to consider are: tissue
paper, fabric, thin metal objects, sticky labels,
crayons, color pencils, paint, markers, construction
paper, rubber bands, string, yarn, be creative!
Basic Representations of Musical Texture
Ib
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Instrument and Voice Catalog
Listen to a recording of your piece.
Determine the types of instruments and voices used in the recording.
Catalog every instrument and voice used during the recording.
Write a description of the timbre of each instrument and voice used during the recording.
Recording Information
Title of the piece:
Title of CD:
Performer(s):
Composer:
Lyricist:
Producer:
Year of Copyright:
Recording Company:
Location of recoding:
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Write a Review
Clearly express your opinion about your selected recorded performance.
1.
After listening to the recording describe the music it contains. Use specific vocabulary in regard to the
tempo
2. Take a stance—either positive or negative. Make it clear to the reader where you stand and why. Use
concrete terms in your examples for positive or negative support.
3. Include some informed opinion and authority in your review.
4. Write a minimum of three paragraphs, but no more than two pages. Use the space below to begin your
DRAFT.
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