ELEMENTS OF MUSIC: Texture & Form

TEXTURE

What is texture in music? Texture in music, and what it means in music, is quite different to what
most people think texture means in everyday life. When you think of the texture of something,
most often you will think of how a surface feels. Is it rough, is it smooth, or maybe cold, wet,
dusty, or even metallic. But these words are not what we use to describe what is texture in music.

So, what does texture in music mean? Texture in music refers to the number of musical lines and
their density in a piece of music. In other words, texture in music is the relationship between the
layers of sound or lines or voices. Some people will use the term “layers of sound” interchangeably
with Texture.

Music texture can be described by its density, which can range from light to heavy depending on
the number of instruments and performance. It depends on the type of phony used and the texture
of the music. Understanding texture in music involves identifying instruments, density, and using
diagrams to illustrate the structure and texture.

ROLE OF AN INSTRUMENT

There are four main roles that an instrument can perform in any section of a piece music. Please
note that not every piece of music will have an instrument in each of these roles.

Melody – this is defined as a series of pitches that form a tune. The melody, or main melody, is the
part that is most memorable and is often the part you sing along to in the music.
Beat – an instrument that performs the beat is often a drum or percussion instrument. The beat is
defined as performing the underlying pulse of the music and helps the listener to hear the tempo
of the music.

Melodic Accompaniment – the melodic accompaniment is performed by any pitched instrument

that is not performing the melody but plays along and supports the melody. For example, if there
was someone singing, and a guitar strumming the chords, then the guitar would be the melodic
accompaniment and the melody would be sung by the vocalist.

Rhythmic Accompaniment – these are any instrument that performs with and supports the beat.
These could be like a tambourine or shaker that plays a rhythmic pattern to accompany the drum
kit that is playing the beat. The bass guitar, or double bass, are also often part of the rhythm section
or rhythmic accompaniment. Even though the bass plays pitched notes, they often are in time and
playing on the beat with the drum kit.

DENSITY

The density of the music will not only depend on how many instruments are performing in any
given section, but on HOW those instruments are performing. The other Elements of Music, and
how they are used in the music, will contribute to the differences in Texture. For example, you can
have two quartets playing the same music, but each could have a hugely different density or
thickness in sound.

If for example, there was a string quartet performing the same music as a rock quartet, the music
could sound quite different simply because of the type of instruments performing as well as the
way those instruments are played. In the two samples below of the song “Scar Tissue”, the texture
is essentially the same in number of layers playing, but they sound different to each other. The
original by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, has a heavier sounding density because of the bass guitar
and drum kit, whereas the string quartet version by Vitamin String Quartet, has a much lighter
sounding texture.

TYPE OF “PHONY”

“phony” is not a real word. It is just a term used to help group the different texture definitions used
to describe the type of texture in a piece of music. Below is a list of the music terms and definitions
for texture.

Monophonic – a single, unaccompanied melodic line

Homophonic – melody with accompaniment

Polyphonic – more than one melody performed at the same time

Heterophony – two melodies that follow each other, but with more ornamentation in the main
melody.

DIAGRAM

Round or Canon – the same melody that starts at different points by another voice or instrument.

Fugue – a piece of polyphonic music where each line has a turn at the main theme, then returns to
accompany the main theme. For example: Fugue in G Minor by Bach.

Unison– the same melody performed by several voices or instruments at the same pitch
Doubling – the same melody either performed by two different instruments in unison OR two
similar instruments an octave apart

Similar Motion – two melodic lines with the same melodic contour

Parallel Motion – two melodic lines with the same melodic contour

Contrary Motion – two melodic lines that move in opposite directions

Counterpoint – A type of polyphonic music where each line has its own melody and moves
independently of other instruments OR voices. For example the “mash up” of Queen and Stevie
Wonder. The two songs combined are Another One Bites the Dust and Superstition.

FORM

What is Form in Music? Form, in music refers to the arrangement and order of the parts or sections
of the music. The form of a piece of music is a predetermined order of each section, and how many
times it is, or is not repeated. When listening to, or playing a piece of music, it is important to
know what the form of the music is, so you can understand how the parts of the music have been
put together to make the whole.
Understanding form in music helps break down music into smaller sections and anticipate future
sections. Form can be used interchangeably, defining the unfolding of music over time through
expansion and development of ideas. When discussing, analyzing, or preparing to perform a
piece, it is important to identify the type of form, identify instruments, range, role, register,
phrasing, ostinatos, and diagrams to visualize the overall form.
TYPE OF FORM

There are many different types of musical structure and form in the music you listen to. It is helpful
to a musician to know what is form in music, in the music you are either playing, studying, or
listening to. Some of the most common form in music definitions used are:

Monothematic – a piece of music based on a single melodic idea. Often the melody is repeated by
a different instrument each time. Ravel’s Bolero is a good example of a monothematic piece.

Binary – a piece of music with two main sections. A B OR AA BB. The Folk Song Greensleeves
is a good example of Binary Form. In this song the structure used is AA BB

Ternary – a piece of music with three sections, the third section is a return to the first. A B A.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star features a simple use of ternary form. In this example of ternary form,
in Guitar Tab, you can see the A section, then B section, then the return to the A section

Rondo – a piece of music with a return to the first section with a different section in between. A B
A C A. The popular classical piano composition by Beethoven, Fur Elise, is a good example of
Rondo Form using the A B A C A form.

TYPES OF MUSICAL FORMS

Theme and Variations – a melody that is repeated with a variation each time. The variations could
be changes in note length or added ornamentation to the melody. Mozart’s version of Twinkle,
Twinkle Little Star and 12 Variations is a great example of the musical form of Theme and
Variations.
Through Composed – a piece of music with no repeating sections. One of the most famous
examples of music written using a Through Composed Structure is the rock classic from Queen –
Bohemian Rhapsody.

Strophic – a piece of music with verses only. This musical structure is often used in folk and
children’s songs. This example from Herman’s Hermits is another rock classic!

Song Form – a piece of music with a combination of verses and choruses, usually with an
introduction, solo and coda. The song “I’m a Believer” is a good example of a typical pop song
structure. It has an introduction, verse 1, chorus, verse 2, chorus, solo, half verse, chorus, chorus
with a variation, and ends with a coda.

ROLE OF AN INSTRUMENT

There are four main roles that an instrument can perform in any section of a piece music.

Melody – this is defined as a series of pitches that form a tune. The melody, or main melody, is the
part that is most memorable and is often the part you sing along to in the music.

Beat – an instrument that performs the beat is often a drum or percussion instrument. The beat is
defined as performing the underlying pulse of the music and helps the listener to hear the tempo
of the music.

Melodic Accompaniment – the melodic accompaniment is performed by any pitched instrument

that is not performing the melody but plays along and supports the melody. For example, if there
was someone singing, and a guitar strumming the chords, then the guitar would be the melodic
accompaniment and the melody would be sung by the vocalist.

Rhythmic Accompaniment – these are any instrument that performs with and supports the beat.
These could be like a tambourine or shaker that plays a rhythmic pattern to accompany the drum
kit that is playing the beat. The bass guitar, or double bass, are also often part of the rhythm section
or rhythmic accompaniment. Even though the bass plays pitched notes, they often are in time and
playing on the beat with the drum kit.

REGISTER OF AN INSTRUMENT

Register is the height of pitch an instrument performs in, with violins performing higher than cellos
and cellos higher than double bass. Two main terms for describing register are treble and bass. The
term can be expanded to include upper, mid, or lower to describe different notes, such as piccolos
or bassoons playing melodic lines in different registers.
RANGE OF AN INSTRUMENT

The range of an instrument is the distance between the lowest and highest note being performed,
similar to the range in numbers or statistics. Melodies can be narrow, medium, an octave, wide,
very wide, or extensive. Examples include “Hot Cross Buns” with a narrow range, “Twinkle,
Twinkle Little Star” with a medium range, and the piano with an extensive range.

PHRASING

A musical phrase is a small musical sentence, either melodic or rhythmic. It can be heard by
listening to a singer performing the melody, or by counting the number of bars in the phrase.
Phrases can be described using words like even, balanced, or symmetrical, with even phrases being
divided in half and uneven, unbalanced, or asymmetrical phrases having different phrasing. These
phrases can be heard in blues music and can start high and end low.

OSTINATO

The musical definition of an ostinato is a repeated musical pattern. There are three main types of
ostinatos – melodic, rhythmic, and chordal. When discussing the structure or form of a piece of
music, the main thing is to concentrate on any patterns in each section of the music.

Another name for an ostinato is a riff. A riff is also defined as a repeated musical pattern. The only
difference between an ostinato and a riff is that a riff is a repeated musical pattern heard and
performed in popular music.

Just like an ostinato there are three main types of riffs – melodic, rhythmic, and chordal.

A rhythmic ostinato is a repeated rhythmic pattern. These types of ostinatos can be performed by
any instrument, either with or without pitch. More commonly though, instruments that perform a
rhythmic ostinato are those without pitch and can be classified as an idiophone (instruments that
are hit, shaken, or scraped to make a sound), a membranophone (instruments with a skin or
membrane) or can be classified as part of the Percussion Family. Below is a good example of
several rhythmic ostinato performing together in the music. Try working out each ostinato and
performing it!

A melodic ostinato is a repeated melodic pattern. These types of ostinatos can be performed by
any instrument with pitch. In popular music, the electric guitar or bass guitar will often perform a
melodic ostinato. A great example of a melodic bass ostinato is in the song “Another One Bites the
Dust” by Queen. Or even the classic from Guns ‘n’ Roses – Sweet Child of Mine, has a great
recurring guitar riff that can be heard many times throughout the song.
A chordal ostinato Is a repeated chord progression. Some popular and common chordal ostinatos
are the 12 Bar Blues and the Ice Cream Chord Change. Below is the Elvis Presley classic – Hound
Dog, which is based on the 12 Bar Blues, and then the song Duke of Earl that features the Ice
Cream Chord Change. Today, many pop songs are based on a four-chord progression or chordal
ostinato.

FORM IN MUSIC DIAGRAM

There are many ways to write and notate music. One way to represent the different sections of a
piece of music is to use symbols for each section of the music. Below is a diagram that represents
the song “I’m a Believer” performed by Smashmouth.

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