Musical Texture Vocabulary

accompaniment

• A musical layer that provides rhythmic and/or harmonic support or background for other musical layers

• The music lines that are less prominent and provide a backdrop or foundation for the melody or the prominent line

• Call (solo) and response (group) or two groups performing alternatively

• How well the music lines are balanced in the texture

antiphonic

• A musical layer that provides rhythmic and/or harmonic support or background for other musical layers

• The music lines that are less prominent and provide a backdrop or foundation for the melody or the prominent line

• Call (solo) and response (group) or two groups performing alternatively

• How well the music lines are balanced in the texture

background

• A musical layer that provides rhythmic and/or harmonic support or background for other musical layers

• The music lines that are less prominent and provide a backdrop or foundation for the melody or the prominent line

• Call (solo) and response (group) or two groups performing alternatively

• How well the music lines are balanced in the texture

balance

• A musical layer that provides rhythmic and/or harmonic support or background for other musical layers

• The music lines that are less prominent and provide a backdrop or foundation for the melody or the prominent line

• Call (solo) and response (group) or two groups performing alternatively

• How well the music lines are balanced in the texture

blend

• How well the instrumental voices merge together effectively

• Individual instruments or voices emerge from a dense texture to take a foreground role and then disappear again into the background

• The musical line(s) that is the most prominent

• The simultaneous performance of the same melodic line, with slight individual variations, by two or more performers

emerging lines

• How well the instrumental voices merge together effectively

• Individual instruments or voices emerge from a dense texture to take a foreground role and then disappear again into the background

• The musical line(s) that is the most prominent

• The simultaneous performance of the same melodic line, with slight individual variations, by two or more performers

foreground

• How well the instrumental voices merge together effectively

• Individual instruments or voices emerge from a dense texture to take a foreground role and then disappear again into the background

• The musical line(s) that is the most prominent

• The simultaneous performance of the same melodic line, with slight individual variations, by two or more performers

heterophonic

• How well the instrumental voices merge together effectively

• Individual instruments or voices emerge from a dense texture to take a foreground role and then disappear again into the background

• The musical line(s) that is the most prominent

• The simultaneous performance of the same melodic line, with slight individual variations, by two or more performers

homophonic

• Melody and accompaniment

• Two or more layers with alternating rhythms that fit together

• The tune or the way pitch is organised horizontally

• Solo melody with no accompaniment

interlocking

• Melody and accompaniment

• Two or more layers with alternating rhythms that fit together

• The tune or the way pitch is organised horizontally

• Solo melody with no accompaniment