Musical Texture
The design created by the interaction of multiple voices or instruments is called "musical texture". The classical clasification of musical texture goes like this:
1. Monophonic textures
a) Unison/octave texture: produced by one single instrument or voice performing a single melodic line or multiple instruments performing a single melodic line in unison or octaves.
b) paralel motion texture: produced by two or more instruments or voices in parallel motion.
a) Contrapuntistic texture: produced by two or more instruments or voices performing independent melodic lines.
b) Motivic texture: produced by two or more instruments or voices performing independent melodic lines which, however, are disposed in such a way that musical space is given in order to allow a imitation of a motive to be heard from voice to voice.
c) "Liquid" poliphonic texture: produced by one or more instruments or voices performing a melodic desing or desings that imply two or more independent voices per instrument or voice.
a) Melodic line + acompaniment: produced by two or more instruments or voices, one of which would perform the main melodic line and the other or other would provide subsidary acompaniment.
b) Choral texture: produced by two or more instruments or voices which perform independent melodic lines, which are however very similar in rhythmic structure.
c) "Liquid" (arpegiated) homophonic texture: produced by one or more instruments performing a melodic desing or desings that imply a choral texture. In other words, an arpegiated choral texture.
I'm quite sure this subdivision is no innovation at all. I think this may be standard knodledge among composers and theorist, and many of the names or definitions I have provided may be wrong. If you know of any information which can improve this article, please drop me a line.
- Monophonic: The texture produced by one single instrument or voice performing a single melodic line or multiple instruments performing a single melodic line.
- Poliphonic: The texture produced by two or more instruments or voices performing independent melodic lines.
- Homophonic: The texture produced by two or more instruments or voices, one of which would perform the main melodic line and the other or other would provide subsidary acompaniment.
- Mixed: the texture produced by the mixture of the kinds mencioned above.
1. Monophonic textures
a) Unison/octave texture: produced by one single instrument or voice performing a single melodic line or multiple instruments performing a single melodic line in unison or octaves.
b) paralel motion texture: produced by two or more instruments or voices in parallel motion.
a) Contrapuntistic texture: produced by two or more instruments or voices performing independent melodic lines.
b) Motivic texture: produced by two or more instruments or voices performing independent melodic lines which, however, are disposed in such a way that musical space is given in order to allow a imitation of a motive to be heard from voice to voice.
c) "Liquid" poliphonic texture: produced by one or more instruments or voices performing a melodic desing or desings that imply two or more independent voices per instrument or voice.
a) Melodic line + acompaniment: produced by two or more instruments or voices, one of which would perform the main melodic line and the other or other would provide subsidary acompaniment.
b) Choral texture: produced by two or more instruments or voices which perform independent melodic lines, which are however very similar in rhythmic structure.
c) "Liquid" (arpegiated) homophonic texture: produced by one or more instruments performing a melodic desing or desings that imply a choral texture. In other words, an arpegiated choral texture.
I'm quite sure this subdivision is no innovation at all. I think this may be standard knodledge among composers and theorist, and many of the names or definitions I have provided may be wrong. If you know of any information which can improve this article, please drop me a line.
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