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Subjects · Leaving Cert Music

Leaving Cert Music: Texture & accompaniment

How often Texture & accompaniment comes up on the Music papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 8 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

OL Asked on 5 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025.

Texture & accompaniment, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Texture & accompaniment.

(a)What is a monophonic texture?
  1. A melody with chordal accompaniment
  2. A single melody line with no accompaniment
  3. Several independent melodies together
(b)Instruments playing the same melody at the same pitch are playing in what?
  1. Counterpoint
  2. Canon
  3. Unison
(c)What is a homophonic texture?
  1. A melody with chordal accompaniment
  2. A single unaccompanied line
  3. Several independent melodies at once
Show the answers

(a) A single melody line with no accompaniment

(b) Unison

(c) A melody with chordal accompaniment

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Texture & accompaniment.

Higher Level

Asked on 8 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q6
2024Q6
2023Q6
2022Q6
2021Q6
2019Not asked
2018Q6
2017Q6
2016Q6

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Texture & accompaniment questions

Texture & accompaniment, 2 marks

What are broken octaves?

  1. A chord of octaves played together in both hands
  2. A scale played over two octaves, up and down
  3. Two notes an octave apart played one after the other
Show the answer

Two notes an octave apart played one after the other

The pianist alternates the lower and upper notes of an octave, creating a busy, driving figure common in Classical piano music.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 5 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q6
2024Q6
2023Not asked
2022Not asked
2021Not asked
2019Not asked
2018Q6
2017Q6
2016Q6

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Texture & accompaniment questions

Texture & accompaniment, 3 marks

What is a polyphonic, or contrapuntal, texture?

  1. Lots of instruments playing loudly
  2. One line over a drone
  3. Several independent melodies at once
Show the answer

Several independent melodies at once

Polyphony means independent lines weaving together. It does not just mean many instruments: a full orchestra can play homophonically.

Texture & accompaniment, 2 marks

What is a drone?

  1. A sudden loud chord
  2. A long held note, usually low
  3. A fast repeated melody
Show the answer

A long held note, usually low

A drone holds a note, often the tonic, under a melody. The drones of the uilleann pipes are a good example.

Texture & accompaniment, 2 marks

Two flutes play the same tune, one a 3rd higher all the way. How is this described?

  1. In 3rds
  2. In canon
  3. In unison
Show the answer

In 3rds

When two parts play the same tune a 3rd apart, they are in 3rds. In unison they would play the same notes, and in canon one would start later.

Other Music topics

All of Leaving Cert Music