Texture

Textures in music are often overlooked in favor of harmonic analysis or other more traditionally analytical methods of analysis. However, texture is extremely important in choral music when it comes to determining how to perform a piece. Especially when it comes to modern choral music, the way you perform a polyphonic section of a piece is extremely different to how one would perform a homorhythmic section. Knowing how to identify and properly perform different kinds of textures can add a necessary depth to any piece of choral music.

The following terms are useful in the analysis of texture in choral music:

• Monophony: A type of texture that only contains a single melodic line of music. Monophony is easily identifiable by completely unison sections with no accompaniment.
• Homophony: Defined by multiple voices moving together harmonically at the same time. This shows up in one of two smaller types of Homophony:
  • Melody and Accompaniment: The more common type of homophony. Features a distinct melodic line, along with other supporting voices that are considered the accompaniment.
  • Homorhythm: A type of homophony which features all of the voices moving in extremely similar/completely unison rhythm.
• Heterophony: Characterized by different variations of the same melodic line.
• Polyphony: Features multiple voices all with different melodic/rhythmic lines.
• Call and Response: A technique where one part offers a melody and another part gives a direct commentary or response to the previous phrase.