AoS1 Base Vocabulary - Structure, Sonority and Texture
Three of the building blocks of Western classical music: structure is the plan of a piece, sonority is the quality of its sound, and texture is how its layers fit together. Learn to name and spot each one.
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The plan, the sound, the layers
Every piece of Western classical music can be described through its building blocks. Three of them are: structure, the overall plan or form; sonority, the quality or colour of the sound; and texture, how the musical layers fit together. Learn to name each one and you can describe any piece you hear.
Three elements and a term
Learn these four ideas before you go on.
Match the form
- Binary form
- Ternary form
- Rondo form
- Theme and variations
- Two sections, an A and a B
- Three sections, A then B then A again
- A main theme that returns between contrasting sections, A B A C A
- A theme followed by repeats that each change it
Name the form
A piece has three sections in the plan A B A. What form is this?
- Ternary form
- Binary form
- Rondo form
- Sonata form
One tune or many?
Two common textures are easy to mix up. The difference is whether there is one main tune or several independent lines.
Match the texture
- Monophonic
- Homophonic
- Polyphonic
- A cappella
- A single melodic line with no accompaniment
- A melody with chordal accompaniment below it
- Two or more independent melodic lines woven together
- Voices singing with no instruments at all
Changing the sound
String players can change the sonority of their instrument. Arco means playing with the bow, the normal way. Pizzicato means plucking the strings with a finger for a short, detached sound. Con sordino means adding a mute to soften and muffle the tone.
Monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic
A texture of a single unaccompanied line is _____. A melody with chordal accompaniment is _____. Two or more independent lines woven together is _____. When a string is plucked instead of bowed, that technique is _____. A binary form follows the plan _____.
Types of texture
Which of these are types of texture? Choose all that apply.
- Monophonic
- Homophonic
- Polyphonic
- Rondo
- Cadenza
Find the forms
Tap the two words that name a structural form.
- Rondo
- Ternary
- Pizzicato
- Homophonic
Which technique?
A cello player plucks the strings with a finger instead of using the bow. What is this technique called?
- Pizzicato
- Arco
- Con sordino
- A cappella
Order the rondo
A rondo keeps returning to its main theme. Put the sections of a simple rondo in order.
- The main theme, A
- The first contrasting episode, B
- The main theme returns, A
- The second contrasting episode, C
- The main theme returns again, A
Name it
Read each description and choose the correct term.
- A choir sings a hymn with no instruments playing at all.
- A solo flute plays a single melody with nothing else sounding.
- Near the end of a concerto, the soloist plays a dazzling passage alone.
Describe a piece
Choose a piece of music you know. Describe its structure and its texture using the words from this module.
- Name the piece and say what its overall structure or form is
- Describe the texture, such as monophonic, homophonic or polyphonic
- Mention one detail of its sonority, such as the instruments used