Chapter 3: The Structures of Music

Texture

Key Terms
texture monophony (monophonic) Heterophony (heterophonic) homophony (homophonic) polyphony (polyphonic) counterpoint imitative and non-imitative

Texture
the relationship between a melody and all other lines and figures that co-exist with it

Three Questions to Identify Texture

How many melodic lines do you hear? Are all the lines equally interesting? How similar or different are they?

How many lines do you hear?

How many different things are going on at one time? melody only? more than one melody? any chords, figures, bass lines, or countermelodies?

Are all lines equally interesting?

Is there a foreground/background relationship? Is there one main melody with clear patterns supporting it? Is it hard to tell which is the main melody?

How different are the lines?

same rhythms or different rhythms? same melodies or different melodies?

Monophonic Texture
How many lines do you hear?
only one, nothing else.

Heterophonic Texture
How many lines do you hear?
basically one some instruments are adding more ornaments or elaborate figures

Homophonic Texture
How many lines do you hear?
two or more

Are all the lines equally interesting?

No, there is one main melody and other parts support it.

How similar or different are they?

different rhythms = melody and accompaniment similar rhythms = chordal (homorhythmic)

Homophonic Texture
melody and accompaniment

chordal (homorhythmic) texture

Polyphonic Texture
How many lines do you hear?
two or more

Are all the lines equally interesting?

yes, all competing for your attention

How similar or different are they?

same melodies = imitative different melodies = non-imitative

Imitative polyphony

Non-imitative polyphony

Listening Exercises
monophonic? heterophonic? homophonic? chordal texture or melody and accompaniment? polyphonic? imitative or non-imitative polyphony?