Types of texture

Monophonic music has only one melodic line.


Polyphonic music has several melodic lines. Types of polyphony:

Drone: The melody is played along with a note fixed in pitch.

Heterophonic texture. Two or more voices simultaneously performing variations of the same melody.

Contrapuntal texture. Two or more independent melodies played at the same time. The parts move with rhythmic independence.

Homophonic texture. Two or more parts move at the same time, together in harmony. A homophonic texture is also homorhythmic.

Melody-dominated texture. It has one clearly melodic line (it's the line that naturally draws your attention) and all other parts provide accompaniment for the lead voice

Texture

Musical texture is the way musical lines interact in a piece of music. You know that there are different types of musical texture. Below you can find links to helpful videos related to texture and types of texture.  

Texture and voice in music

What is musical texture?

Music texture

Texture in 2,5 minutes

Musical textures

Texturas musicales

Texture

Texture is the way in which individual musical lines interact within a musical work. Texture describes the complexity of a musical composition. There are different types of texture:

Monophony. Monophonic music has only one melodic line with no accompaniment.

 «Girls and boys come out to play» from Teledmus

Polyphony. Polyphonic music has several melodic lines. Types of polyphony:

• Drone. The simplest way to add harmony to a melody. The melody is played alog with a note fixed in pitch.

 Pericote. Asturian bagpipe

• Heterophony. Two or more voices simultaneously performing variations of the same melody. It ca be considered as a type of complex monophony.

«Good souls» from Curlew River by Benjamin Britten

from «Maintaining identity» Anthony Brandt. www.cnx.org

• Homophony. Is a texture in which two or more parts move at the same time, together in harmony. A homophonic texture is also homorhythmic.

If ye love me, by Thomas Tallys

from Wikimedia.org

• Melody-dominated homophony (also called accompanied melody). It has one clearly melodic line and all other parts provide accompaniment for the lead voice.

Moonlight Sonata. Beethoven
 from Wikimedia Commons

• Counterpoint. The combination of two or more independent melodies played at the same time. Parts move with rhythmic independence (contrapuntal texture).

Fugue nº 17 by J. S. Bach
 from Wikimedia Commons