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Examples of Musical Texture

Below, you will find embedded links to excerpts from the songs identified, best representing the identified musical textures. Here is a link to a Spotify playlist for these musical examples (complete versions); songs identified by asterisks (**) are not currently available from Spotify. 

Identifying musical texture

The Questions:

1. How many different melodies am I hearing?
   if one and only one, the texture is monophonic, otherwise ...
   
2. What is the relationship between the melodies?
   1. if one is more important than all others, the texture is homophonic; in this case, your attention typically stays focused on a single melody consistently throughout the excerpt
   2. if several melodies are equally important, the texture is polyphonic; in this case, your attention tends to move back and forth between the various melodies, rather than staying focused on only a single "most important" melody
      
3. For either homophonic or polyphonic textures, which precise sub-category best fits?
   1. if homophonic, determine whether the texture is ...
      1. "homophonic, melody & accompaniment" - one important melody with other parts that are obviously supportive in their function ... necessary, but not demanding of one's central focus of attention
      2. "homophonic, chordal" - multiple melodies proceeding with the same rhythm, resulting in the sound of sequential blocks of chords
   2. if polyphonic, determine whether the texture is ...
      1. "polyphonic, imitative" - one or more parts imitates (echoes) the melody present in one of the other parts
      2. "polyphonic, nonimitative" - two or parts that are relatively equal in importance, but do not include parts that imitate one another

Monophonic

"Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin

Distinguishing between Monophonic & Chordal Homophonic textures:
"Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

texture of vocals:
3:57 to 4:04 - monophonic vocals

4:05 to 4:12 homophonic-chordal vocals

Homophonic (melody & accompaniment)
"She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel
"Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
"Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas (verses)
"Steamroller" by James Taylor Listen carefully to this example by James Taylor. At times, to my ears, the activity of the electric guitar (kind of "answering" the vocal part) rises to a point that it competes with the vocal part for primary importance. Therefore, this moves a step closer to -- if not becoming -- polyphonic (non-imitative), given the relatively equal importance of the vocal and guitar parts.
Homophonic (chordal)
"Seven Bridges Road" by The Eagles
"Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas (opening phrases & vocals in chorus
"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen (opening phrases)	just for fun: Classic scene from Wayne's World (1992)
"Fat Bottomed Girls" by Queen
Polyphonic
"Black Water" by The Doobie Brothers (@ 3:00 of complete tune)
"We Have Heaven" by Yes
Changing Textures
"Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas (guitar solo @ 2:47 of complete tune) See if you can follow these textural changes in "Carry On Wayward Son" (above): 0:00-0:06 - polyphonic (keyboard solo while guitar, bass, & drums playing a different, equally important, part) 0:07-0:10 - monophonic guitar, bass, & keybords with strong drum beat 0:11 - very brief chordal homophonic chords 0:12-0:13 - monophonic guitar, bass, & keybords with strong drum beat 0:14 - very brief chordal homophonic chords 0:15-0:16 - monophonic guitar, bass, & keybords with strong drum beat 0:17 - very brief chordal homophonic chords 0:18-0:20 - monophonic guitar, bass, & keybords with strong drum beat 0:21 - very brief chordal homophonic chords 0:22-0:29 - polyphonic (guitar solo while keyboard, rhythm guitar, bass, & drums playing a different, equally important, part) 0:30 - melody & accompaniment homophony (back to the monophonic part by almost all instruments, but this time the keyboard chords provide "accompaniment" within this musical texture) 0:41 - the musical bridge; chordal homophony, first instruments, then vocals (with vocals: "Carry On")   Other Changing Textures (listen on Spotify)
"Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys
"Surfer Girl" by The Beach Boys
"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

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