Texture Flashcards
what is texture?
how layers of sound relate
What are different layer IDs?
Sound source (dif. insturments)
General music device(melody,harmony,bassline, rhythm)
Specific music device (rapping layer, powerchord, riff, polyrhythm)
How can the same layer be id’d?
In dif ways from dif musical concepts
Eg, with pitch, duration, tone, dynamics
What are the roles of layers?
Melodic
Harmonic
Rhythmic
SFX
What are layer roles?
Describes musical function, specified by instrument. (One can have multiple roles)
What are the usual roles of layers in a band?
melodic=vocal harmonic=guitar (strummed)
Rhythmic =Drums SFX=synthesiser
what is layer density?
thickness of music. depends on no. layers and their thickness
What does layer thickness depend on?
No. instruments in each layer
technical manipulation
intensity of playing
What are different layer relationships?
Dominate (can be active/inactive)
Subordinate (can be active/inactive)
Solo (1 instrument or with accompaniment)/ Unison
Counterpoint
The lines or parts (each with its own melody) move independently
Heterophonic Texture
One part closely doubles another, but with ornamentation and embellishments in the main part
Homophonic Texture
One line of melody with chordal accompaniment, often both parts will have the same rhythm
• Polyphonic Texture
More than one different melody playing at the same time
parallel motion
One line doubles another, moving in the same direction, a fixed interval apart
Monophonic Texture
= One line of melody
canon (as a type of layer relationship)
All parts have the same melody though starting at different times. Harmony is created out of independent melodic lines
Imitation as a type of texture
= One part imitates the material of another part in turn
Tone cluster as a type of texture
= A chord built on adjacent notes (at least 3 adjacent notes)
Unison/Doubling as a type of texture
= Singing/playing by a number of voices/instruments of the same notes, at the same time may be the same pitch or in a different octave
when describing density of sound layers, what should you do?
give reasons as to why it is that density
what must you first identify in a texture q?
how many layers of sound are there?
What should you do if density/layers change?
identify the sections, describe the changes that occur
what are different layers of sound?
- Foreground, Middle-ground, Background
Instrumentation - Voices such as Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass -
Orchestral Layers
2 ways to describe the relationship btw layers?
similar or contrary
what type of words should you use to describe texture?
words relating to touch. smooth, silky, coarse, rough
what are 4 things you do in a texture question
- identify layers of sound
- how does each layer contribute to texture?
- Layer relationships
- Changes in density
1.identify layers of sound
dominant/subordinate
active/inactive
melodic/rhythmic accompaniment
2.how does each layer contribute to texture?
thick/thin because…
3.Layer relationships
how do layers interact? similar/contrary? monophonic homophonic polyphonic contrapuntal heterophonic
4.Changes in density
staggered entry
drum fills
stops between sections
monophonic
one melody, no harmony
homophonic
melody and harmony
polyphonic
various independent melodies very busy
contrapuntal
wants attention
heterophonic
2 melodies nearly in unison (2nd one may have an embellishment) similar contour, no harmony
doubling
playing same melody an octave apart
similar motion
same contour
tutti
all instruments of orchestra playing
