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Elements of Music

Discover the essential elements of music texture including monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic styles. Learn how to analyze and describe different textures in music with examples and technical terms.

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Elements of Music

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  1. Elements of Music

  2. Texture • When you describe the texture of a piece of music, you are describing how much is going on in the music at any given moment. • For example, texture can be thick or thin, or it may have many or few layers. • You may be only able to hear rhythm, or a melody line with accompaniment, or it may have interweaving melodies. • There are many ways you can describe textures in music, but the most important show the relationships of melodies and harmonies.

  3. Terminology • Monophonic (unison) • Monophonic music has only one melodic line – absolutely NO harmony or accompaniment. • Examples of monophonic music: • One person whistling • A group singing someone ‘Happy Birthday’ without harmonies or instruments • A solo instrument (like a trumpet) playing • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4NtSqZcT_4

  4. Terminology… • Homophonic (block chords) • Homophonic music has one clear melodic line with all other parts providing accompaniment or fill chords. • Examples of homophonic music: • A singer accompanied by a guitar picking or strumming chords. • A small jazz combo with a bass, a piano, and a drum set providing the ‘rhythm’ background for a trumpet solo. • A person playing the bagpipes (where the drones provide the accompaniment.) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WxfjWnuEno

  5. Terminology • Polyphonic (different sounds or voices) • Polyphonic music has parts that weave in and out of each other. There are more than one independent melody occurring at the same time. • Examples of homophonic music: • A choir singing a round or canon (Row, Row, Row your Boat.) • Most pieces of music for a large instrumental group (orchestra) • Adding in a back-up singers or a second instrument playing harmony opposite to the melody. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72eEBz2rGWU

  6. How do you figure out the texture of a song? • Figure out the texture of the following pieces - keeping in mind the following rules: • That if there are a lot of instruments playing at once the texture is thick. • If there are only one or two instruments playing the texture is thin. • You can build up the texture from thin to thick, or reduce it from thick to thin. • Use the technical terms as much as possible.

  7. Jill Barber – “Oh My My” • “Rhapsody in Blue” George Gershwin

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