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Musical Texture Texture • Texture results from the way voices and/or instruments are combined in music. • It is concerned with the treatment of musical lines in a piece of music. • A musical line is called a layer and texture refers to the combination of these layers, producing either a thin or a thick texture. LAYERS • To analyse the texture of a piece of music, we first need to decipher the types of layers that are present in it and then consider how the composer has treated each layer. • It is important to identify what these layers are doing Number of Layers • If you listen carefully, the layers in the music will emerge. • When you think you have picked out the number of layers in of music, separate them into the following categories: • • • • • Single melody line Melody with accompaniment More than one melodic line Countermelody Non melodic / harmonic lines (eg rhythm section) • You may come across all of these options in a piece of music, so try to specify which layer you are discussing by naming the instrument and stating where in the music it occurs. Audio Examples 1 • Sound Bites – – – – – 5.1 - Single Melodic Line 5.2 - Melody with accompaniment 5.3 – More than one melodic line 5.4 – Countermelody 5.5 - Rhythmic Section Harmonic Role • Harmonic role refers to an instrument or voice holding the harmony in a piece of music. • A harmonic role can provide: – A bass line (eg walking bass) – A constant chordal accompaniment (eg strumming guitars) – A drone Rhythmic Role • Rhythmic role refers to an instrument holding the rhythm in a piece of music. This is usually the rhythm section or sometimes the voice (beatboxing). • It can be pitched (bass guitar riff) or non pitched (drums) • A rhythmic role can provide: – A basic pulse – An ostinato – A rhythmic interest Relation of layers to each other • To give the layer context, we must try to compare it with other layers, that is, to analyse the relationship of the layers to one another. • It can be useful to draw a diagram as a form of graphic notation. Density • Density refers to the thickness or a sound created by layers in a piece of music. • Thick density – heavy, dense, rich, solid, bass heavy, loud, many instruments, solid chords, thick sounding instruments (eg tuba) – Sound bite 5.14 • Thin density – light, transparent, sparse, few layers, soft volume, thin sounding instruments (eg piccolo) no harmony, broken chords – Sound bite 5.15 Texture Type • Monophonic – Single melodic line (flute) • Homophonic – single melodic line and harmonic accompaniment (voice and guitar chords) • Polyphonic – two or more melodic lines player together. • Heterophonic – two or more lines played at the same time with variations of the melody Visual Representations Monophonic • Monophonic means “of one layer”. • It is important to note that monophonic need not apply to on instrument or voice. A monophonic texture may involve: – one instrument or voice – - a group of instrumentalists or voices in unison – Soundbite 5.19 – monophonic from Medieval period – Soundbite 5.20 – modern monophonic example Homophonic • Homophonic texture is the most common texture type heard in music. With a melodic layer and a harmonic layer, it is the texture on which most music is based. • Homophonic texture can also be heard in much SATB choral music, where the main melody is usually carried by one voice, with the other voices providing the harmony. • To identify a homophonic texture, listen for melody and a harmony, rather than the number of instruments or voices. • Soundbite 5.21 – Homophonic texture Polyphonic • A polyphonic texture is one in which the layers are intertwined and mixed. • In the case of a fugue, which is a common example of polyphonic texture, the subject is the driving force, with other musical lines maintaining it. With this type of texture, each layer competes for the listeners attention. • For a polyphonic texture, listen for two or more instruments with independent musical lines • Soundbite 5.22 – Polyphonic Texture Heterophonic • A heterophonic texture is one in which the same melody is performed at the same time by more than one instrument or voice, but with different variations of the same melody. • The texture is most common to cultures of the Middle east, China, Indonesia, Ireland and some parts of Africa • mainstream music • To identify heterophonic texture, listen for the same melody played by two or more parts, with elaboration in one part. • Soundbite 5.23 – Heterophonic Texture