Y3. Lesson 27. Texture

Students discover that music texture refers to how the different layers or sounds in a piece of music are woven together.

By the end of this lesson, students will have:

Students can identify three types of textures through listening and visual work.

Prior learning: None

Duration: 30 minutes

Materials: Recorders

Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.

Difficulty:

Prepare

Present

Texture

Practise

Types of Textures:

Monophonic: This is the simplest texture. It involves a single melody line without accompaniment, like one person singing solo.
Homophonic: This texture features a main melody supported by chords or a harmony. You can compare it to a singer with a guitar or piano accompaniment.
Polyphonic: In this texture, multiple melody lines are played together and are equally important. A good example would be a round or canon.
Heteophonic texture is not discussed in this lesson.

Students discover a new pentatonic song for repertoire.

This pentatonic song uses the tones d,r, m, s, l.
Lead the class in singing the song together. Start slowly to ensure everyone catches the melody. Use hand gestures to help with pitch and rhythm.
Once students know the melody, focus on rhythm and cadence. Clap or use a tambourine to establish the beat, asking students to match their singing to the rhythmic pattern.
Listen to the students sing and gently correct their pitch, rhythm, or pronunciation of the solfege syllables.
Once the class is comfortable, divide them into groups and have them sing the song in a round or canon.

Students clap and name the song.

Students in groups sing in multi-part canon.

Dr Cuskelly and Y3 students of St Joseph's

Students are in a circle.
Lead the class in singing the song once.
Split into two groups: the first group sings, and the second in canon after one measure.
Make a third group and repeat the above, this group commences singing after two measures.

Students discover the meaning of monophonic, homophonic and polyphonic textures.

Teach students that they will discover three types of textures in music.
Monophonic: This is the simplest texture. It involves a single melody line without accompaniment, like one person singing solo.
Homophonic: This texture features a main melody supported by chords or a harmony. You can compare it to a singer with a guitar or piano accompaniment.
Polyphonic: In this texture, multiple melody lines are played together and are equally important. A good example would be a round or canon.
Play the first track on the first audio player to demonstrate these textures. It features a solo singer and is an example of a monophonic texture.
The second track is the singer accompanied by a piano. Teach that this is an example of homophonic texture.
The third track features a canon, an example of a polyphonic texture. It has several layers playing simultaneously.
Play each track from the second audio player and ask students whether they believe the texture is monophonic, homophonic or polyphonic.

Students discover texture through visual learning.

Project the texture graphic.
Teach that the first red squiggly line shows a single melody line of music, like a voice. This could be a monophonic texture.
The second line represents two lines of music, a voice and a piano, for example. This could be a homophonic texture.
The last line shows several lines of music all playing together. This could be a polyphonic texture.
Play some texture examples from the audio player and ask students to draw a picture of each texture creatively.

Did you know?

Monophonic is derived from Greek, combining "mono-" meaning "single" or "one," and "phonic," from "phonos," meaning "sound" or "voice."

Homophonic also originates from Greek, with "homo-" meaning "same" or "similar," and "phonic," from "phonos," referring to "sound" or "voice."

Polyphonic comes from the Greek "poly-", meaning "many," and "phonic," from "phonos," which means "sound" or "voice."

Students add another song to their expanding repertoire.

Play the song to the class.
Remind them that there are some notes with a dot above or below, meaning they should be played staccato, or shortened.
Show students how to make a 't' sound instead of a 'too' when tonguing.

Students sing and clap in an ostinato pattern.

Lead the class in singing Bell Horses.
Teach a clapped ostinato pattern such as ta, ti-ti ta and have the class practise.
When secure students should sing and clap the ostinato pattern.