All Students preparing for Grade exams are recommended to use the Hofnotes on-line training pages to practise for the aural tests. 

At higher grades  you must be able to discuss with the examiner musical features such as texture, form, style, and period of a piece of music.  My own  web pages to help with these parts of the test at Grade 5+ and at GCSE are available here!

Melody with accompaniment texture

The simple structure of melody and accompaniment is common in song and instrumental works. 

Often a solo line or voice carries the burden of the tune, as here:

Bach's Gottes Zeit ist die Allerbeste Zeit

Bagpipes create a simple melody with accompaniment texture.  They create a drone bass under a melody. 

Many piano pieces use the texture of  melody and accompaniment.  Usually it is the left hand that supports the right hand melody:

That Song without words in F# minor by Mendelssohn was played by Raymond Banning

While it is a simple and traditional texture, more modern composers use it to subtle effect:

Janacek's "The Death" was played there by Libor Novacek. 

You will have heard a plaintive melody with very sparse chords in the accompaniment, keeping the tonality of the piece slightly uncertain.

Last updated on: 10/10/2011