The Art of Counterpoint Is Most Closely Associated With Monophonic Texture

Introduction

In music, texture is how the melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic materials are combined in a composition, thus determining the overall quality of the sound in a piece. Texture is often described in regard to the density, or thickness, and range, or width, between everyman and highest pitches, in relative terms as well equally more specifically distinguished according to the number of voices, or parts, and the relationship between these voices. For example, a thick texture contains many "layers" of instruments.

In musical terms, particularly in the fields of music history and music analysis, some common terms for unlike types of texture are:

• Monophonic
• Polyphonic
• Homophonic
• Homorhythmic
• Heterophonic

Nosotros will focus on monophony, polyphony, and homophony in this course.

Formal Terms

At that place are many informal terms that can draw the texture of a piece of music (thick, thin, bass-heavy, rhythmically complex, and then on), but the formal terms that are used to describe texture all describe the relationships of melodies and harmonies. Hither are definitions and examples of the four main types of texture. For specific pieces of music that are good examples of each type of texture, please see below.

Monophonic

Monophonic music has only 1 melodic line, with no harmony or counterpoint. There may be rhythmic accessory, but only ane line that has specific pitches. Monophonic music tin likewise exist chosen monophony. It is sometimes called monody, although the term "monody" can also refer to a particular type of solo song (with instrumental accessory) that was very pop in the 1600s.
Examples of Monophony

• One person whistling a tune
• A single bugle sounding "Taps"
• A group of people all singing a song together, without harmonies or instruments
• A fife and pulsate corp, with all the fifes playing the same tune

Listen: Monophony

Mind for the cello performing a unmarried melody in Bach'due south Cello Suites.

Listen to the monophony in "Llibre Vermell de Montserrat [Catalonia, 14th Century]: Advocatam innocemus" by Namur Chamber Choir.

Homophonic

Homophonic music tin also be called homophony. Describing homophonic music you lot may hear such terms as chords, accompaniment, harmony or harmonies. Homophony has ane clearly melodic line; information technology's the line that naturally draws your attention. All other parts provide accompaniment or fill in the chords. In most well-written homophony, the parts that are not melody may still have a lot of melodic interest. They may follow many of the rules of well-written counterpoint, and they can sound quite different from the melody and be interesting to listen to by themselves. Simply when they are sung or played with the melody, it is articulate that they are non independent melodic parts, either because they take the aforementioned rhythm as the tune (i.e. are not independent) or because their principal purpose is to fill in the chords or harmony (i.e. they are not really melodies).

Examples of Homophony

• Choral music in which the parts have generally the same rhythms at the same time is homophonic. Almost traditional Protestant hymns and most "barbershop quartet" music is in this category.
• A singer accompanied past a guitar picking or strumming chords.
• A small jazz combo with a bass, a piano, and a drum set up providing the "rhythm" groundwork for a trumpet improvising a solo.
• A unmarried bagpipes or accordion player playing a melody with drones or chords.

Mind: Homophony

In Mozart'southward Piano Concerto No. 21, Andante ("Elvira Madigan"), heed for one independent melodic line accompanied by other voices or instruments.

Polyphonic

Polyphonic music can also be called polyphony, counterpoint, or contrapuntal music. If more than i independent melody is occurring at the aforementioned time, the music is polyphonic.

Examples of Polyphony

• Rounds, canons, and fugues are all polyphonic. (Even if there is merely one melody, if different people are singing or playing it at different times, the parts sound independent.)
• Much Baroque music is contrapuntal, especially the works of J.S. Bach.
• Most music for large instrumental groups such as bands or orchestras is contrapuntal at least some of the time.
• Music that is generally homophonic can become temporarily polyphonic if an independent countermelody is added. Think of a favorite pop or gospel melody that, well-nigh the end, has the soloist "ad libbing" while the back-up singers repeat the refrain.

Listen: Polyphony

Bach's Fugue in D Major is a practiced example of polyphony, mind for four voices occurring at the aforementioned fourth dimension. Each vocalisation is an imitation of the other, entering the piece with the aforementioned melody.

Heterophonic

A heterophonic texture is rare in Western music. In heterophony, there is only one melody, but different variations of it are existence sung or played at the same time.

• Heterophony can be heard in the Bluegrass, "mountain music", Cajun, and Zydeco traditions. Heed for the tune to be played past ii instruments (say dabble and banjo) at the same fourth dimension, with each calculation the embellishments, ornaments, and flourishes that are characteristic of the instrument.
• Some Middle Eastern, Southward Asian, central Eurasian, and Native American music traditions include heterophony. Listen for traditional music (virtually modernistic-composed music, even from these cultures, has petty or no heterophony) in which singers and/or instrumentalists perform the aforementioned melody at the same time, but give it different embellishments or ornaments.

Listen: Make up one's mind the Texture

Determine the texture (monophonic, homophonic, or polyphonic) in each piece of music:

Thousand. B. Pergolesi, Stabat Mater in F small, arranged past J. S. Bach on the text of Psalm 51: "Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden," BWV 1083, c. 1746.

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Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/musicappreciation_with_theory/chapter/monophony/

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