Many world musics are monophonic in texture, and a few are also polyphonic.
The musics of Africa and Indonesia have the appearance of complex polyphony. Homophony has been used more in the West than in other cultures as Western music has a highly developed harmonic component. A small ensemble of a few instruments will sound lighter, thinner and much less dense than a large performing group. A vocal group of four singers will produce a more transparent musical effect than a large chorus. Within compositions many changes of density may take place through different combinations of performing forces.