•Texture
•Monophonic, Homophonic and Polyphonic
•Identify the texture of these three examples:
•Harmonic and Contrapuntal Textures
•Harmonic textures: music that moves in chords/harmony (generally homophonic).
•Contrapuntal textures: music where the separate parts all move independently (polyphonic).
•Imitative Texture
•When the music has two or more main melodies which play at the same time and have a similar shape and sound.
•This is a type of polyphonic texture.
•Each part is a separate related melody!
•Canonic Texture
•A canon is when the same melody is repeated slightly behind the start of the first melody and continues after it.
•A B C D E F G
• A B C D E F G
• A B C D E F G
•Row Row
•Row your boat
•Gently down the stream
•If you see a crocodile
•Don’t forget to scream
•Layered Texture
•This means that the music is made up of different layers of sound which are all important in adding to the texture of the music. These could be rhythmic as well as melodic musical lines. Layered texture is a feature of African music.
•Listening Exercise
•Describe the texture that is used in each of these excerpts.
•More Types of Texture
•Unison: When everyone is playing the same thing at the same time
•Octaves: When the same thing is played an octave apart.
•Single Melody Line: A solo melody.
•Melody with Accompaniment: A melody with backing.
•Antiphonal: An ensemble split in two which play separately and together.
•Melody
•Describe the piece of music focusing on rhythm, metre, tempo, texture, harmony and tonality.
•Intervals In The Octave
•An octave is a range of 8 notes.
•The higher the number, the wider the gap!
•The intervals you may have to identify are:
•2nd, Minor 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, Minor 6th, 6th, Minor 7th, 7th and Octave (8th).
•Conjunct and Disjunct
•These terms refer to the motion of a melody or accompaniment.
•Conjunct melodies move smoothly.
•Conjunct melodies can also use scalic patterns.
•Disjunct melodies will move erratically and use difficult intervals.
•Types of Chords
•Chords can be used in many ways.
•Triadic (block): Chords where all the notes are played together.
•Broken chords: Chords where each note is played separately ascending or descending.
•Arpeggio: Chords were each note is played separately ascending and descending.
•Listening Exercise
•Listen to this piece of music and describe the use of texture, metre, tempo, harmony and tonality. (5)
•Types of Scales
•A scale is a group of notes used to compose a melody.
•Diatonic – either major or minor.
•Chromatic – when the notes use semitone steps.
•Pentatonic – a five note scale
•Whole Tone – a scale which uses only whole tones (sounds Chinese).
•Modal – a scale which is neither major or minor (used in jazz and world music).
•Melodic Devices
•A melodic device is something which is used to embellish a melody.
•These are either ornamentations or compositional techniques.
•Melodic Devices
•Passing Notes: used to fill a gap between large intervals.
•Acciacaturas: a note squeezed in before another note.
•Appoggiatura: a note which is not part of the melody but takes half the value of the melody note.
•Blue Notes: a note which is between semitones (used on guitars in rock and blues).
•Augmentation: When all the notes in the melody are played at double (or more) speed but remain equal.
•Diminuation: When all the notes in the melody are played at half (or less) speed but remain equal.
•Sequence: When the melody moves up or down harmonically.
•Inversion: When the melody is played backwards or the intervals are reversed.
•Slide/Glissando: when very fast notes are played between a large interval.
•Ostinato/Riff: a short repeated pattern.
•Phrasing: how a melody is delivered and where sections of a melody start and end.
•Articulation: whether the melody is legato (smooth) or staccato (short) or a combination of the two.
•Pitch Bend: a shake or wobble on a note.
•Improvisation: a made up melody.
•Ornamentations: decorations on notes:
•Trills – a quick movement between two notes.
•Mordents – a movement between two notes, either up or down, which finishes on the main note of the melody.
