Texture in music
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can discuss texture and timbre in a piece of music and can perform a song in different textures.
Key learning points
- Unison is a musical texture where everyone performs the same thing at the same time.
- We can change the texture by adding or taking away different layers of music.
- Timbre refers to the sound of the instrument. Different timbres change the feeling and mood of the music.
- Singing posture and good vocal onset are important for singing well.
- The best posture for singing is with feet apart, knees slightly bent, arms by your sides and head lifted.
Keywords
Texture - the layers of sound and how they fit together in a piece of music
Timbre - how an instrument sounds
Unison - the name given to music where everyone sings the same thing at the same time
Vocal onset - the way that we initiate a sound when singing. Good vocal onset uses breath to initiate a sound by pushing air from the belly.
Common misconception
The description thick texture relates to the number of people performing and loud dynamics.
Texture is more complex than thick/thin. Use good examples early on to show that texture is related to the different layers in the music and not neccesarily the number of performers. Show how lots of performers could be performing in a thin texture.
Teacher tip
The singing warm up in cycle 2 can be swapped for an alternative which focuses on singing posture and vocal onset. It is helpful to compare singing posture with regular posture to highlight the different way we need to stand to sing. Singing posture should be lifted and not rigid.
Licence
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