Chapter 5 Texture
Chapter 5 Texture
Chapter 5 Texture
CHAPTER
5 Texture
LISTENING TEXTURE results from the way voices
ACTIVITY PIECES and/or instruments are combined in music.
‘Summer Overture’ from Board of Studies NSW 1999, Music 1 Stage 6 Preliminary and HSC Courses, Sydney, NSW.
Requiem for a Dream
by Clint Mansell
(page 112) This chapter will help you to discuss texture in terms of:
‘Unfinished Symphony ’ s¬ the layers of sound and their function
by Franz Schubert s¬ the roles of instruments and/or voices.
(page 113)
‘It’s Gonna Be Good After completing this chapter, check that you understand and can apply the
for You’ following:
by The Hipstones
(page 113)
layers of sound
the function of each layer of sound
‘Tobias’
by Darren Percival the roles of instruments and/or voices in each layer of sound.
(page 119)
ADDITIONAL
SUGGESTED
LISTENING PIECES
‘Magic’
by Ben Folds Five
‘Behind the Wall’
by Tracy Chapman
‘One Big Holiday’
by My Morning Jacket
‘Hand in Hand’
by Joseph Tawadros,
with Bobby Singh
Texture results from the way voices and/or instruments are combined
Texture is produced by the
in music. It is therefore concerned with the treatment of musical lines in combination of voices and/or
a piece of music. A musical line is called a layer and texture refers to the instruments in music.
combination of these layers, producing either a thin or a thick texture. For A layer is one or a
example, if we hear a solo violinist playing and then hear an entire orchestra combination of musical lines
with its many harmonic and rhythmic layers, the music has changed from a provided by an instrument(s),
voice(s) or any other sound
thin texture to a thick texture. source(s).
The mind map below shows the concept of texture linked to three main
areas. Although layers make up both the density and the type of texture, they
are separated in this mind map, as these are the three main aspects of texture
that should be looked at when analysing a piece of music.
LAYERS
TEXTURE
LAYERS
To analyse the texture of a piece of music, we first need to decipher the types
HSC TIP As discussed
of layers that are present in it and then consider how the composer has
in other chapters,
treated each layer. It can be relatively easy to identify the particular voices or all musical concepts
instruments that characterise a layer, but to analyse texture it is important overlap. If the number of
to identify what these layers are doing. Most of the time, each layer is layers in a piece of music
increases — in other
contributing to the music in a different way. words, if the texture
In this section, we discuss how to identify the number of layers, the role of builds up — there is
each layer and how the layers relate to one another in the music. usually a corresponding
increase in the dynamics
of the piece. The
Number of layers concepts of texture and
dynamics therefore
Listening to some music, it is easy to be overwhelmed by all of the performing overlap.
media that you hear. But if you listen carefully, the layers in the music will
emerge. When you think you have picked out the number of layers in the piece
SOUND BITE 5.1
of music, separate them into the following categories: Single melodic line
s single melodic line SOUND BITE 5.2
s melody with accompaniment Melody with accompaniment
s more than one melodic line SOUND BITE 5.3
s countermelody More than one melodic line
s non-melodic/harmonic lines (e.g. rhythm section or percussion). SOUND BITE 5.4
Examples of some of these can be heard in the sound bites (see also some Countermelody
examples of scores on page 94). You may come across all of these options in a SOUND BITE 5.5
piece of music, so try to specify which layer you are discussing by naming the Rhythmic section
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One melodic line followed by another line (horizontal melodic lines); excerpt from George Frideric
Handel’s ‘Israel in Egypt’
Number of layers
Role of layers
In most music, there are instruments that have a melodic role, others that
have a harmonic role and still others with a rhythmic role. When analysing
texture, we label the layers according to which of these roles they perform.
In a standard rock band, the lead singer and lead guitarist usually fill the melodic roles; the rhythm
guitarist, backing vocals, keyboard player and bass guitarist fill the harmonic role; and the drum kit
and often the bass guitar fill the rhythmic role.
Melodic role
A layer with a melodic role usually leads the piece of music, providing the Melodic role refers to an
main melody. Our ears are drawn to this melodic layer. instrument or voice holding the
A melodic role can provide: melody in a piece of music.
s the main melody
s the main melody in unison HSC TIP In an exam
s the main melody in octaves response, make sure you
specify which layer you
s the main melody, with the melody in harmony (e.g. 3rds)
are discussing and where
s imitation of the main melody across different instruments it occurs.
s a countermelody.
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In the score example on pages 97–9, the trumpets and tenor saxophone
perform the melodic role.
Harmonic role
Harmonic role refers to an
A layer with a harmonic role provides the harmony through a bass line,
instrument or voice holding the chords or a drone (a sustained note).
harmony in a piece of music. A harmonic role can provide:
s a bass line (e.g. a walking bass)
s a constant chordal accompaniment
s a drone.
In the score example on pages 97–9, the trombones, baritone saxophone,
piano, electric guitar and bass guitar perform the harmonic role.
rhythmic
Hip (excerpt)
CD TRACK 14
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An example of a music score with melodic, harmonic and rhythmic roles (excerpt from ‘Hip’)
CHAPTER 5 Texture 99
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An example of a score that shows a vertical relationship between layers (bars 1–4) and
a horizontal relationship (bars 5–10) (from Mozart’s ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’)
Number of layers
rhythmic
countermelody
Relationships between layers in music
100 Musical Concepts MUSIC 1 AURAL SKILLS PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
Bolero (excerpt)
Maurice Ravel
A score extract showing relationships between melodic, harmonic and rhythmic layers (from
‘Bolero’ by Maurice Ravel)
SOUND BITE 5.13 3. Listen to the sound bite and discuss the relationship of the layers to one
Concept check — another.
Layer relationship
DENSITY
Density refers to the ‘thickness’ of sound created by layers in a piece of music.
Thick density
SOUND BITE 5.14 There are many alternative terms that may be suitable to describe a thick
Thick texture
texture in a piece of music. These alternatives include:
s heavy s loud volume
s dense s many instruments
s rich s solid chords
s solid s few musical rests
s bass heavy s thick-sounding instruments (e.g. the tuba).
102 Musical Concepts MUSIC 1 AURAL SKILLS PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
Thin density
Alternative terms to describe a thin texture in a piece of music include: SOUND BITE 5.15
Thin texture
s light s thin-sounding instruments (e.g. the piccolo)
s transparent s many musical rests
s sparse s no harmony
s few layers s broken chord accompaniment.
s soft volume
An example of a score that shows the texture progressing from thin in bars 8–11 to thick in bars
12–18 (excerpt from ‘The Marrige of Figaro’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
104 Musical Concepts MUSIC 1 AURAL SKILLS PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
LAYERS
TEXTURE
Thin Thick
TYPE
The way the layers are put together in a piece of music forms its texture. Like
many other features in music, aspects of texture develop over time and a type
of texture can be related to a particular style of music.
The main types of texture are described as monophonic, homophonic, Monophonic refers to a single
polyphonic and heterophonic. melodic line.
LAYERS
TEXTURE
Monophonic heterophonic
106 Musical Concepts MUSIC 1 AURAL SKILLS PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
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. When analysing a piece of music, listen for a homophonic texture
before you try to identify a monophonic or polyphonic texture type.
A homophonic texture contains melody and harmony. This should not
be confused with the numbers of instruments. If there is a melody and a
harmony, then the texture type is homophonic.
Homophonic texture can also be heard in much SATB choral music, SATB represents soprano,
where the main melody is usually carried by one voice, with the other voices alto, tenor and bass — that is,
providing the harmony. the four main vocal types that
comprise a full choir.
Examples of a homophonic texture include:
s a singer with accompaniment (most commonly with a piano or guitar
HSC TIP To identify a
providing chordal accompaniment)
homophonic texture,
s a solo instrumentalist, with an ensemble or orchestra providing the listen for melody and a
accompaniment — for example: harmony, rather than the
– a violinist and an orchestra or a string orchestra number of instruments
or voices.
– a rock group with a guitar soloist, with the other group members (e.g.
rhythm and bass guitars, and drums) accompanying
– a jazz band with a saxophone soloist, with the other band instruments SOUND BITE 5.21
(e.g. bass, keyboard, drums) accompanying. Homophonic texture
An example of homophonic texture in music (from ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ by Jerome Kern)
Polyphonic
Poly derives from a Greek word meaning ‘many’. A polyphonic texture is one
in which the layers are intertwined and mixed. This does not necessarily
result in a ‘mess’ of sound, although it can. Another clear sign of a polyphonic
texture is that it is difficult to anticipate where the piece will end, as usually no
particular layer leads the piece.
A fugue is a composition for
In the case of a fugue, which is a common example of polyphonic texture,
a group of instruments or the ‘subject’ is the driving force, with other musical lines maintaining it.
voices based on a musical With this type of texture, each layer competes for the listener’s attention. In
subject that is repeated in
a polyphonic texture.
polyphony each melody can exist on its own, and all are of equal importance
and interest. An example is shown opposite.
In the chapter on pitch (see chapter 2, page 31), we learnt about
countermelodies. Polyphonic texture is the treatment of many
countermelodies simultaneously. The polyphonic texture type originated in
the Renaissance period, when each (usually vocal) part had a melody. The
melodies of all parts were performed at the same time, yet all fitted together
harmonically.
This use of the term polyphonic should not be confused with its use in
HSC TIP For a
relation to mobile phone ringtones, where it simply means many instrumental
polyphonic texture,
listen for two or more layers that sound like real instruments. Ringtones are actually homophonic in
instruments with texture type, as other textures would not suit today’s ears.
independent musical
A polyphonic type of texture may be:
lines.
s a piece of music with independent instrumental and/or vocal lines, such as
in
– canons, rounds or fugues
– some pieces from the Baroque musical era
– sections of a large ensemble work, orchestra or band
SOUND BITE 5.22 s homophonic textures that develop into polyphonic textures, such as in
Polyphonic texture – mainstream music when the singer adds vocal licks above an existing
accompaniment that is melodically based
– countermelodies.
Heterophonic
SOUND BITE 5.31 A heterophonic texture is one in which the same melody is performed at the
HSC TIP To
Polyphonic identify
texture, same time by more than one instrument or voice, but with different variations
heterophonic
mainstream musictexture,
listen for the same of the same melody.
melody played by two This texture is most common to cultures of the Middle East, China,
or more parts, with
Indonesia, Ireland and certain parts of Africa. In cultures where heterophony
elaboration in one part.
grew, it was mainly due to improvisation. Consider a Greek village tavern
where a solo violinist is playing a traditional melody, and then a clarinettist
casually joins in, playing the same melody but embellishing it. The result is
a heterophonic texture. In this context we can understand how this texture
type grew.
108 Musical Concepts MUSIC 1 AURAL SKILLS PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
An example of a score showing polyphonic texture (from ‘Missa Da Pacem — Kyrie’ by Josquin
Desprez)
Heterophonic texture can be Heterophonic texture is rarer in Western music than monophonic,
heard in the chorus of the homophonic or polyphonic, and may or may not be heard as a texture by
gospel hymn ‘His Eye Is on
the Sparrow’. itself. Heterophonic texture may be combined with any of the other three
main texture types; for example, a homophonic texture and a heterophonic
texture may be combined in one piece of music. In Turkish music, you may
hear a heterophonic texture by itself.
SOUND BITE 5.23 A heterophonic type of texture may be:
Heterophonic texture s a melody played by two instruments (e.g. violin and clarinet), with one
instrument embellishing the main melody with ornaments that are
characteristic of that instrument
s music outside the Western tradition in which the main melody is doubled by
an instrument(s) or voice(s) with embellishments
s a fugue
SOUND BITE 5.24 s Indonesian gamelan.
Concept check —
Texture type 1
SOUND BITE 5.25
CONCEPT CHECK ½½½ TEXTURE TYPES
Concept check —
Texture type 2
Listen to each sound bite and identify whether the texture type is monophonic,
SOUND BITE 5.26 homophonic, polyphonic or heterophonic.
Concept check —
Texture type 3
SOUND BITE 5.27
Concept check —
Texture type 4 GRAPHIC NOTATION
Composers started using graphic notation around the beginning of the
twentieth century, and it plays a significant part in the Music 1 course. As we
saw in chapter 1 (page 11), graphic notation is a useful tool for your HSC Aural
Skills exam as it helps you to express your answer in a visual way. However,
in relation to texture, we think of graphic notation as a diagrammatic way of
mapping out the layers in a piece of music. By drawing and referring back to a
HSC TIP In a Music 1 diagram, you may be able to draw conclusions regarding the texture of a piece
Aural Skills exam, you are of music. It is an effective way to analyse the layers, density and type of texture
strongly recommended of the particular excerpt you are studying. The following is an example of such
to graphically notate, or
express your answer in a diagram.
diagrams.
1’33” 2’37”
Introduction A A1 Bridge A2
Piano
Cello
Electric guitar
Drums
Percussion
A diagram showing graphic notation of Peter Sheridan’s ‘It’s Five Minutes to Twelve’
110 Musical Concepts MUSIC 1 AURAL SKILLS PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
CHAPTER REVIEW
AND LISTENING ACTIVITIES
Mind maps are a way of visualising information. This mind map shows the
HSC TIP Mind maps
features of the concept of texture that can be applied to any listening piece. It
are a useful revision tool
is a useful revision tool for the HSC Aural Skills examination. for the HSC Aural Skills
exam.
Number of layers
melodic rhythmic
rhythmic countermelody
TEXTURE
Homophonic Polyphonic
LISTENING ACTIVITIES
1. Copy and label the blank mind map below from your understanding of
what you have learnt in this chapter. Put the relevant words you have learnt
on the branches provided.
TEXTURE
112 Musical Concepts MUSIC 1 AURAL SKILLS PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
(b) In groups of seven, use the score for the seven layers to perform the
song ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy!’ Bring in each layer one at a time, allowing
four bars of performance before the next one enters.
(c) Listen again to the composition built up in the performance by Bobby
McFerrin and compare your performance with his.
7. Score reading and listening. Listen to the excerpt your teacher will play CD TRACK 16
while following the score excerpt on pages 114–18. Answer the following
questions in relation to the excerpt.
(a) How many layers are seen and heard in the excerpt provided?
(b) What is the role of the oboes and clarinets when this layer enters?
(c) Explain the relationship between the double bass, cello and viola, and
the violin parts.
(d) Name and describe the density in bars 1–8.
(e) Name the types of texture used in the excerpt (monophonic,
homophonic, polyphonic) and explain (in bar numbers) where these
texture types are heard.
(f) Comment on the use of texture overall and the effectiveness of this for
the listener.
8. Listen to the excerpt your teacher will play and answer in extended point CD TRACK 17
form the following questions related to texture.
Layers
HSC TIP You may
(a) Identify the layers in this excerpt.
be asked a question
(b) Label each layer as: on ‘layers’. Here you
s single melodic line are being asked about
s melody with accompaniment the concept of texture
and need to interpret
s more than one melodic line the question to fit this
s countermelody concept.
s non-melodic/harmonic lines (e.g. rhythm section/percussion).
(c) What is the role of each layer (melodic, harmonic or rhythmic)?
(d) Describe the relationship between each layer.
Density
(e) Describe the density of the texture.
Type
(f) Label the type of texture used in the piece of music. Comment on the
overall type(s) of texture, as well as on particular sections of the piece of
music.
Diagram
(g) Demonstrate visually your understanding of texture in this piece by
drawing a diagram to represent the layers heard in the music.
114 Musical Concepts MUSIC 1 AURAL SKILLS PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
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118 Musical Concepts MUSIC 1 AURAL SKILLS PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
HSC-STYLE QUESTION
An excerpt (2 minutes 12 seconds) from ‘Tobias’ by Darren Percival will be CD TRACK 18
played SIX times for you to answer this question.