Textures

• Has only one melodic line
• No harmony or counterpoint
• May be a rhythmic accompaniment, but only one line has specific pitches
• Can also be referred to as 'monophony'

Examples include:

• one person whistling a tune
• a group of people all sing a song together without harmonies or instruments

Listening:

http://cnx.org/content/m11645/latest/sonnet2exc.mp3

A Bach unaccompanied cello suite

• Has one clearly melodic line; its the one that draws your attention
• All other parts provide the accompaniment or fill in the chords
• People who are describing homophonic music may mention chords, accompaniment and harmony/harmonies
• In most well-written homophonic music the parts that are not melody will still have a lot of melodic interest
• May follow many of the rules of well-written counterpoint
• Can sound different to the melody line but are interesting to listen to by themselves
• When they are played or sung with the melody it is clear that they are not independent parts
• This may be because they have the same rhythm as the melody (they are not independent)
• Or because their main purpose is to accompany or fill the chords (they are not really melodies)
• Also called Homophony

• If more than one independent melody is occurring at the same time the music is polyphonic
• Also called polyphony, counterpoint or contrapuntal music

Examples:

• Rounds, canons and fugues are all polyphonic
• A lot of baroque work is contrapuntal, particularly Bach
• music for large instrumental groups such as band or orchestras is contrapuntal at least some of the time
• Music that is mostly monophonic can become polyphonic for a time if an independent counter melody is added

Listening:

Pachelbel's Canon

Anything titled "fugue" or "invention"

• Rare in western music
• Only one melody but different variations of it are being played or sung at the same time
• Also called heterophony

Examples:

• Can be heard in the bluegrass 'mountain music', Cajun and Zydeco traditions
• Tune played by two instruments at the same time with each adding embellishments, ornaments and flourishes that are characteristic of the instrument
• some middle eastern, south Asian, central Europe, and native American music also use heterophony

Listening:

Examples:

• Choral music in which the parts have mostly the same rhythm
• A singer accompanied by a guitar picking or strumming rhythms
• a small jazz with a bass, a piano and a drum set providing the 'rhythm' background for an improvisation on the trumpet
• a single bagpipes or accordion player playing a melody with drones or chords

Listening:

A classic Scott Joplin rag such as "Maple Leaf Rag" or "The Entertainer"