Texture in music refers to the number of concurrent voices or parts in a composition, and how they interact with one another. The three most common types of musical texture are:

1) Monophonic - Where all parts sounding have the same notes and rhythm. They are "unison" (or in octaves).
2) Homophonic - Where all parts have the same (or similar) rhythm, but they harmonize with different notes.
3) Polyphonic - Simply means "many voices," but refers to multiple, independent melodic lines sounding against one another (i.e. counterpoint).

The various textures at work in G.F. Handel's "Hallelujah" Chorus, from his famous oratorio, MESSIAH, are visualized in this video by color-coding and highlighting the vocal score. Hope this helps your understanding of texture in music!

Dr. Scott Watson teaches in the School of Music at Cairn University (Langhorne, PA). To investigate how YOU can unlock your musical talents at this Philadelphia-area Christian liberal arts university, please visit: https://cairn.edu/academics/music