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!
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 in 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
Can you think of a piece you play that has this texture?
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.
