Homophony in GCSE
Make sure you have read and understand the basic information for Homophony before reading this page!
This page will go through specific GCSE set works and show how Homophony is used within these pieces.
This page will go through specific GCSE set works and show how Homophony is used within these pieces.
In the basic description it was explained that homophony texture is where parts all play together, in harmony. This however is not always strictly true. Homophonic music can fall generally into two types:
1. A clear melody with accompaniment
2. All parts moving together in harmony
1. A clear melody with accompaniment
2. All parts moving together in harmony
Look back at the example on the introduction page to hear different examples (each verse) of homophonic writing.
The two examples are both homophonic despite one sounding much fuller than the other. Homophonic texture is usually distinguished by the fact that there is one clear melody (even if parts are moving together in harmony there will be one part which has the "tune".
Set works which feature homophonic texture
Davis, Buckley, and Moby are listed above as they use a clear melody with accompaniment. However as mentioned popular music is often not described as being "homophonic" this is because they often vary the layers throughout the piece.
As you can see the vast majority of our set works feature some kind of homophonic writing. This is because often (especially with vocal pieces) we need to be able to hear the main melody and / or lyrics and the easiest way to do this is to reduce the texture so it is "less busy".
Set works which feature homophonic texture
- Handel - Alternates between homophonic and polyphonic
- Mozart- Throughout except for small monophonic sections and some polyphonic writing in the development
- Chopin- Throughout except the very ending
- Schoenberg- Occasional sections
- Bernstein- Throughout
- Davis- Throughout (although as popular music it is often not described as homophonic)
- Buckley- Throughout (although as popular music it is often not described as homophonic)
- Moby- Throughout (although as popular music it is often not described as homophonic)
Davis, Buckley, and Moby are listed above as they use a clear melody with accompaniment. However as mentioned popular music is often not described as being "homophonic" this is because they often vary the layers throughout the piece.
As you can see the vast majority of our set works feature some kind of homophonic writing. This is because often (especially with vocal pieces) we need to be able to hear the main melody and / or lyrics and the easiest way to do this is to reduce the texture so it is "less busy".
Listen to the set works listed above and complete the following tasks in your revision notes.
- Write the bar numbers of sections which are homophonic
- List which instruments are playing at this particular time
- List the reasons, i.e. lyrics or otherwise, for the change to homophony at this particular point