Elements of Music (continued)
Texture
Musical Texture

Number of layers of sound that are
heard at once, including…
– What kind of layers they are, and
– How they are related to each other
Musical Texture is all about LAYERS
Think FOOD…
Lemon poundcake
Is a single layer
Black Forest Cake
Is many layers
Musical Texture is all about LAYERS
Think FOOD…
Lemon poundcake
Is MONO-textured
Black Forest Cake
Is POLY-textured
Musical Texture is all about LAYERS
MONOPHONY is
musical texture
with only one
layer of melody
POLYPHONY is
musical texture
with more than one
layer of melody
Musical Textures

MONOPHONY (n.),  POLYPHONY (n.),
MONOPHONIC
POLYPHONIC (adj.)
(adj.) [one sounding]
[many sounding]
– Single melodic line
without
accompaniment
– Example
• ANONYMOUS Alleluia Vidimus
Stellam (Gregorian
Chant)
– Performance of two
or more melodic
lines of relatively
equal interest at the
same time
– Example
• J.S. BACH Movement 4 from
Cantata #140
“Wachet auf”
Counterpoint (n.),Contrapuntal (adj.)

The technique of combining two or more
melodic lines into a meaningful whole
 Often used interchangeably with
POLYPHONY
 Term comes from Latin - “punctum contra
punctum” (point against point, note against
note)
ANONYMOUS - Alleluia Vidimus
Stellam (Gregorian Chant)
Solo voice
Choir
J.S. BACH - Movement 4 from
Cantata #140 “Wachet auf”
Violins
Tenors
Cellos/Harpsichord
POLYPHONY has different types

NON-IMITATIVE(adj.)
– Example: J.S.BACH - Movement 4 from
Cantata #140 “Wachet auf”
– When the layers of melody are different
from one another

IMITATION (n.), IMITATIVE (adj.)
– Example: JOSQUIN DESPREZ - Ave
Maria
– When the layers of melody are the same or
very similar and the different layers start at
different times
J.S. BACH - Movement 4 from
Cantata #140 “Wachet auf”
Violins
Tenors
Cellos/Harpsichord
NON-IMITATIVE POLYPHONY
JOSQUIN DESPREZ - Ave Maria
Sopranos
Altos
Tenors
Basses
IMITATIVE POLYPHONY
“Frere Jacques” (Row, row, row your boat)
Example of ROUND/CANON
Voice 1
1 2 321 1 2 321 3 4 5
Voice 2
345
565431
1 2 321 1 2 321 3 4 5
Voice 3
1 2 321
565431 1 5 1 1 5 1
3 4 5 565431 565431 1 5 1 1 5 1
1 2 321 3 4 5
345
565431 565431…
Round (Canon)
A strict type of IMITATIVE POLYPHONY
in which a song in which several people
sing the same melody but each starts at
a different time
 Examples:

– “Frere Jacques” (Are you sleeping, Brother
John?)
– “Row, row, row your boat”
There is one special type of
NON-IMITATIVE POLYPHONY

HOMOPHONY- term describing music in
which one main melody is accompanied by
chords
– “HYMN-LIKE”
•
•
•
•
The main melody is usually the highest in pitch
The melodic layers move in similar rhythms
The melodies sound together to produce chords
Example: J.S. BACH - Movement 7 from Cantata #140
– “MELODY & ACCOMPANIMENT”
• The main melody stands out by itself
• The “back-up” part is made up of chords
• Example: FREDERIC CHOPIN - Nocturne in Eb Major
Pedal Point (Organ Point)

A single tone, usually in the bass, which
is held while the other voices produce a
series of changing harmonies against it;
othen found in fugues
– Example: G.F. Handel “Hallelujah” Chorus
from Messiah

Similar to DRONE - A long, sustained
tone or tones accompanying a melody
– Example: Hildegard of Bingen - “O
Successores” (Chant)
G.F. HANDEL - “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah
Orchestral Intro
POLYPHONY
“Hallelujah”
HOMOPHONY
“for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth”
“Hallelujah”
MONOPHONY
HOMOPHONY
“for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth”
MONOPHONY
“Hallelujah”
HOMOPHONY
“for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth/Hallelujah”
POLYPHONY
G.F. HANDEL - “Hallelujah Chorus”
from Messiah
“The kingdom of this world HOMOPHONY
is become the
Kingdom of our Lord
and of his Christ”
“And He shall reign for
ever and ever”
“King of Kings, and Lord
or Lords, for ever and
ever, Hallelujah,
Hallelujah!”
(Bass) MONOPHONY, then
IMITATIVE POLYPHONY
PEDAL POINT
G.F. HANDEL - “Hallelujah Chorus”
from Messiah
“And He shall reign for
ever and ever”
“King of Kings, and Lord
or Lords, for ever and
ever, Hallelujah,
Hallelujah!”
“And He shall reign for
ever and ever”
“King of Kings, and Lord
or Lords,
POLYPHONY
PEDAL POINT
POLYPHONY
HOMOPHONY
G.F. HANDEL - “Hallelujah Chorus”
from Messiah
“for ever and ever,
POLYPHONY
Hallelujah, Hallelujah!”
(pause)
“Hallelujah!”
HOMOPHONY