Musical Texture, Form, and
Style
HOW MUSICAL LINES INTERACT
What is Musical Texture?
 Musical Texture refers to a number of different
characteristics of music
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Texture is the number of parts playing
It refers to whether each line is a melody or harmony part
Texture refers to how each part relates to each other
 Can be described as thick, thin, dense, heavy, light
 Variations in texture can create contrast and drama
 We will look at three basic textures
 Monophonic
 Polyphonic
 Homophonic
Monophonic Texture- “One Sound”
 Monophonic means that there is one melodic line
with no harmony or accompaniment
 If multiple voices or instruments are playing in
unison, it is still Monophonic
 Examples of monophonic music
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Singing solo a capella (Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love
You”
Gregorian chant
Unaccompanied instrumental sonatas (Baroque)
Polyphonic Music- “Many Sounds”
 Polyphonic means that there
are two or more melodic lines
of equal importance
 Technique of writing several
melodic lines that interact is
called counterpoint
 Often uses imitation, which is
when one voice or instrument
presents a melodic idea, then
another voice repeats it
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Not always exact imitation
 Examples of polyphonic music
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Rounds, fugues, (Little Fugue in
G minor ) and canons
(Pachelbel’s Cannon in D)
Partner songs
Homophonic Music- “Same Sounds”
 Homophonic means there is one
main melody with a less important
accompaniment
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Accompaniment could be as simple
as chords, or it could be more
complex
 If a line in the accompaniment
starts to stand out and become
more important, then the texture
changes to polyphonic
 Examples of homophonic music
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Melody and accompaniment (Alan
Jackson – “The Old Rugged Cross”)
Traditional hymn arrangements
(Traditional – “The Old Rugged
Cross”)
 Homophonic writing
using chords
Farandole by Georges Bizet
 Has two themes: a march theme and a dance theme
 Starts with the march theme in a homophonic
texture, then then violins and violas play a
polyphonic section (fugue like)
 The high woodwinds then play the dance theme in a
homophonic texture
 After the full orchestra plays the dance theme, the
strings play a monophonic version of the march
theme
 Listen for other changes in texture
“Hallelujah” by Georg Frideric Handel
 Switches rapidly between all three textures
 Word “Hallelujah” is usually homophonic, with some imitative
polyphony
 “For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth” is usually
monophonic
 “And he shall reign” is always polyphonic
 Changes in texture create contrast for each section of
the piece
MUSICAL FORM
 Three techniques that create Form
 Repetition
Allows the listener to become familiar with a theme or melody
 Often used with another technique
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Contrast
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Can be a change in an element of music, i.e. melody, rhythm,
harmony, dynamics, tempo, timbre; mood can be changed as well
Variation
Alteration of a musical idea so it’s different but still recognizable
 Entire pieces can be composed using this technique
 Example – Variation on America by Charles Ives
 Listen and Illustrate the “Theme and Variation” sections in the
“Variations on America” (next page)
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Illustrate (“Variations on America”)
 Listen and Illustrate the “Theme and Variation”
sections in the “Variations on America”
Two Major types of Form
 Binary Form
 Two sections: A B
 Can be looked at as a statement of a theme and then a
counterstatement with a different theme.
 Any section can be repeated
 Example: “Gavotte from French Suite NO. 5 in G
Major” By Johanne Sebastian Bach
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See next page for Listening Outline
Listening Outline (to be read while music is heard)
 Listen and Illustrate the two
sections in “Gavotte” by Bach
Illustrate “Dance of the Reeds” (from the Nutcracker)
 Show the form through your illustration
incorporating repetition and contrast
Two Major types of Form
 Ternary Form
 Three sections: A B A
 Can be looked at as a statement of a theme, a contrasting
section, and a return to the original
 Each section can also be subdivided, as well
 Example: Dance of the Reed Pipes from The
Nutcracker Suite- By Peter Tchaikovsky
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A section introduces the melody
B section uses the trumpets and strings to vary the melody
Return to the A section with the flutes
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Listen and Illustrate the three sections in the “Dance of the Reed
Pipes” (on next page)
Two Part Songs – Verse/Chorus
 Two part songs are Binary. Popular music, Country
music, Contemporary Christian, and church hymns
are a few examples that follow the pattern of two
parts utilizing a Verse/Chorus (Refrain) pattern.
 Selena Gomez “Bang a Drum
 Tim McGraw “Live Like You Were Dying”
 Michael W. Smith – “Friends”
Rondo
 Rondo is a 5 or 7 part song that alternates between
the beginning ‘A’ section with other contrasting
sections ‘B’ and/or ‘C’. The ‘A’ section is the unifying
repetition that holds the piece together.
 5 part Rondo pattern – ABACA
 7 Part Rondo pattern – ABACABA
 Which pattern does the following selection follow?
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Mozart – “Turkish March”
Theme and Variations
 Repetition of the same melodic theme through out a musical
composition.
 Composition begins with a statement of the main idea
 Each new part will use one or more music element to “vary”
or change this melodic idea without losing the theme
 Listen to “American Salute” by Morton Gould
 based on a Civil War tune “When Johnny Comes
Marching Home”
 Determine how many variations you year and complete
one of the following for each variation:
Draw pictures to show the change in the variations as you hear
them
 Label and describe each new variation as you hear it
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Theme and Variations
 Use this page to illustrate or label and describe the
variations heard in “American Salute” by Morton
gould
Musical Style
 Style- a characteristic way of using melody, rhythm,
harmony, dynamics, timbre, texture, and form.
 Particular combinations create a distinctive sound
 Composers from the same area, time, or country
often use similar styles
 Musical styles change over time, but it is often
gradual
Eras of Western Art Music
 Middle Ages (450-1450)
 Renaissance (1450-1600)
 Baroque (1600-1750)
 Classical (1750-1820)
 Romantic (1820-1900)
 Twentieth Century to 1945
 1945 to the Present