Teaching Demonstration
for Allegheny College
February 13, 2015
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Duple and Triple Meter Examples
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Musical Texture: Monophony, Homophony
and Polyphony
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Blatant Examples of Duple Meter
Subtler Examples of Duple Meter
Blatant Examples of Triple Meter
Subtler Examples of Triple Meter
Examples of monophony, homophony and polyphony
Two Closing Examples: Handel and Stravinsky
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As you follow along with each piece, first clap the beat; then
try to listen for regularly recurring musical ideas. (These
ideas may occur in either the melody or – more subtly – in
the harmony.) Once you have found some regularly
occurring ideas, see if you can trace the vertical line up and
down, or if it feels better to trace the triangle.
The first link leads to a youtube recording of the work (or
movement). The second, for the brave among you, leads to
the music score. Take a look at the time signature, and try to
follow along! Also, follow along with the video in the two
Beethoven recordings and the Debussy Arabeske; this is a
graphically animated version of what actually happens in
the score. Try listening once with the video, and then a
second time with the score.
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John Philip Sousa – Stars and Stripes Forever (written in
1897)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-7XWhyvIpE
http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/2/2a
/IMSLP14778-Sousa_-_Stars_and_Stripes_-_March.pdf
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony #3 (1804), Second
Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arfHsnxE-MU
http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/a/a
7/IMSLP192031-PMLP02581-Beethoven_-_055__Symphony_n.3_Eb__2H_Pauer_.pdf (page 23 in score)
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Frederic Chopin – Etude, Op. 10, #1 (by 1833) (This one is
subtle because it sounds like a flurry of notes. Look for
sounds that repeat, and try listening and counting beats
based on what you hear in the low notes.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROVy9PC8_8A
http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/0/01/IMSLP
00305-Chopin_-_OP10_1.PDF
Claude Debussy – Arabeske #1 (1891) (The time signature
here is 4/4, but each beat is divided into three eighth notes,
or a triplet. Listen for a slow beat here, not a fast one.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6s49OKp6aE
http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/1/13/IM
SLP00503-Debussy_-_Arabesque_No1.pdf
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Frederic Chopin – Waltz in a minor (~1845)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZJt-oWDD7U
http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/4/48
/IMSLP55093-PMLP113759chopin_janno_la_mineur142.pdf
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony #3 (1804), First
Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2tEVVeGCk0
http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/a/a
7/IMSLP192031-PMLP02581-Beethoven_-_055__Symphony_n.3_Eb__2H_Pauer_.pdf (page 1 in score)
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Claude Debussy – Claire de Lune (1899) (It’s subtle because the beat
itself is very gentle, and understated. The actual time signature is
the rather unusual 9/8, with three groups of three eighth notes
each.) Note the performer’s frequent use of ritardandos and
accelerandos, which makes the beat even cloudier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhKTRiPezHk
http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/7/75/IMSLP00513Debussy_-_Suite_Bergamasque_-_3_-_Clair_de_Lune.pdf
Maurice Ravel – Piano Trio in a minor (1914), II. Pantoum (Assez
vif) (While counting beats to three isn’t so hard, many of the
strong notes (really accented notes) don’t come where you’d expect
them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-3Ievj2ff4
http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/0/01/IMSLP01667Ravel_-_Piano_Trio__score__bw_.pdf (beginning on page 10)
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Monophony, literally meaning “one sound,” is a
single-line musical texture, or melody without
accompaniment. It can be sung by a lone voice, or in
unison – everyone singing “as one.”
Polyphony, literally meaning “many sounds,” is a
musical texture of multiple, interwoven melodic lines.
When two monophonic lines (which may be different
or identical) are simultaneously played, the resulting
texture is polyphonic. Rounds, canons and fugues are
examples of polyphony.
Homophony, literally meaning “same sound,” is a
texture with a principal melody and accompanying
(supportive) harmony. Generally, the melody is also
the highest pitched voice.
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Monophony
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Homophony
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Listen to this example of Gregorian chant, a monophonic texture sung by
tenors. The singing is not a perfect example of syllabic singing, but would still
be considered syllabic.
This example also features the old style of notation used by monks of the postGregory Catholic church.
Listen to the dynamics in this homophonic work (Frederic Chopin’s Prelude
in c minor) – it is forte (loud) at first, then with no decrescendo, it drops
suddenly to piano (soft).
Sousa’s march Stars and Stripes Forever is another good example of
homophony. Near the end, listen to the famous piccolo counter-melody; while
it is an important part of the music, it does not displace the principal melody;
thus, the texture is not polyphonic.
Polyphony
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Listen to the polyphonic texture in Thomas Tallis’s Spem in Alium, sung first
by alto, then soprano, bass, and tenor. In all, there are 40 separate lines at
play, though the consonant texture makes many of them blend together.
Listen to As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending by Thomas Weelkes, an a
capella example of word painting. Follow the words “ascending,”
“descending,” “running,” “two by two” and “three by three.” This example
actually mixes a homophonic texture with a polyphonic one.
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George Frederic Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus
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Follow the music through different textures. The music
begins homophonically, but at the words, “for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth…” the texture becomes
monophonic. (One God.) Then, as those words are
combined with “hallelujahs,” the texture becomes
polyphonic. (Everyone singing “the same” hallelujah –
homophony – mix with the one – monophonic –voice of
God.)
Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring
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This piece has an almost unrecognizable beat, no
discernable meter (although there is one), and is highly
dissonant (discordant and unstable combination of tones
which seek resolution). This example is an opportunity to
follow along in the musical score with a highly complex
work of music.