Kinds of texture
| Monophony
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Musical texture with a single melodic line.
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| Heterophony
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Musical texture in which the same melody is played by all voices and instruments but with variations and omissions depending on the particular nature of the each.
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| Polyphony
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Musical texture composed of two or more voices.
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| Parallel organum
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Polyphony composed of a melody and a second part that parallels it.
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| Drone
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Polyphony composed of a melody supported by one or two unchanging pitches.
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| Homophony
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Polyphony composed of a melody supported by chords.
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| Independent polyphony
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The melodic voices move in different directions. (The term "independent polyphony" is not necessarily recognized as standard, but it is useful to illustrate a point. Some scholars restrict the term "polyphony " to mean "independent polyphony.")
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| Imitative polyphony
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The melody of one voice is based on another; it imitates it.
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| Canon (or round)
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All or almost all the material of the first voice is repeated by one or more following voices.
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| Fugue
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A single melody is repeated at different times by different voices.
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