Texture

= Texture = List all the components of texture you can think of. Include all the different types of texture and an explanation of each one. Cover the things you need to listen for when describing texture.

﻿Mati + Troy!

Who does what when? i.e. what instruments play and what are their roles?

Types of texture:

Monophonic 1 horizontal line by itself 1 line, can be in unison or octaves and can be accompanied by unpitched percussion

Homophonic 1 horizontal line with a vertical element 2 types: -Melody with chordal accompaniment -Harmonised melody

Polyphonic 2 or more horizontal lines 2 types: -Imitative ie fugue, canon -Non imitative

Heterophonic 2 or more similar horizontal lines, differing in note values or ornaments

Adjectives: Thick, Thin Open, Closed (space between parts) Dense, Sparse foreground, background melody, accompaniment

How many layers are there? What is the role of each layer? How does each layer behave? What does it do? (eg the bass line line 'walks' underneath the melody lines and outlines the harmony) Are there layers added? Where are they added? (eg after the opening, towards the middle, after the trumpet solo the piano enters and plays chord stabs on the off beats) Are there layers which drop out? What effect is created by this?
 * __Questions to answer when listening__**

e.g a thick polyphonic texture with many independent melodies creates a busy complex texture/ effect

a thin monophonic texture of solo voice creates a thin, singular, hollow reverberant effect