Texture
How many musical lines sound at once and how they relate, such as monophony, homophony or polyphony, and how dense the sound is.
Also called: Musical texture, Textural density
Texture describes how many musical lines sound together and how they relate to one another. The main types are monophony, a single line; homophony, a melody supported by chords moving together; and polyphony, several independent lines. Texture also covers density: a sparse texture of two parts is thin, and a full orchestral tutti is thick. A texture can change within a piece, as when a movement opens homophonically and then turns polyphonic in its development. In orchestration, texture depends on which instruments play, how many play, and in what registers. A string quartet may move between a chordal slow movement and a fugal finale.
Related terms
- HomophonyA texture in which one melodic line is supported by chords or accompaniment that move together rhythmically, as in a hymn.
- PolyphonyA texture of two or more independent melodic lines of similar importance, each with its own rhythm and contour, as in fugue or motet.
- MonophonyA texture of a single melodic line with no accompanying parts, as in Gregorian chant or an unaccompanied folk song.
- CounterpointThe writing of two or more independent melodic lines that sound together, linked by rules for consonance, dissonance and voice leading.