Texture

Use the colour page to assist in this stage

2. With percussion instruments, or using percussive sounds on orchestral instruments, listen to the sound of each instrument leaving a silent pause between each one. Discover the qualities that each instrument has to offer.

Repeat this exercise, asking each student to play their instrument in different ways.

 

2.1 Allowing each student to make only one sound on their instrument, construct a piece that experiments with the amount of silence between each sound.

Try with three sounds each and increase the silence.

 

2.2 Repeat once more, but this time ask each student to keep repeating their three sounds with a silent pause in between each repetition. Make sure there is variation in the collective length of silences.

Listen to all the wooden instruments together, all the metal instruments together and all the skin instruments together.

Experiment by combining the different textures, varying densities and volumes.

 

2.3 Taking three notes from a new mode make a soft, static repeating texture with the percussion instruments. Repeat this with pitched sounds. Thie aim is to create an accompaniment where no particular instrument dominates, but all can be heard contributing to the detail of the overall sound.

 

2.4 Working in smaller groups ask each group to produce a texture piece, really trying to create a particular type of atmosphere or colour. Listen to:

Tree Line section B bars 1 - 5

  • Click button to play

 

2.5 Overlay the melodies created in stage 1 from one group on top of the texture music of another and see how they match-up. If you wish, add in some of the percussion textures to add to the variety of colour.

 

2.6 Perform, discuss and make any revisions or adjustments to ensure the material works well together. Listen to: Tree Line excerpt colour 2

Tree Line section B bars 2 - 7

  • Click button to play

     

2.7 Try extending the textural music to include new combinations and harmonic centres.

Improvised melodies based on any of the scales could also be added.

 

2.8 Perform again.

 

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