Music Form

Binary or 2 part Form

2 part AB Example: Row, Row, Row, Your

Boat Part A (Row, row, row, your boat

gently down the stream)Part B (Merrily, merrily, merrily,

merrily life is but a dream)

Ternary or 3 part form

3 part ABA Example – Twinkle, Twinkle A- Twinkle……How I wonder what

you are B- Up above…..in the sky A-Twinkle……How I wonder what

you are.

Theme and Variations

A A1 A2 A3

The composer states a theme (A) and varies it to change the way it sounds (A1A2A3)

There is no set number of variations.

Fugue

Polyphonic composition Subject and answer Popular during the Baroque period,

especially with Bach.

Round

Similar to a fugue, a round is a melody that is done in exact repetition at different times.

Example – Row Your Boat Also becomes polyphonic texture

when performed as a round

Rondo

Can be 5 part ABACA or 7 part ABACABA

Longer music, used a lot as the 4th movement in the Classical symphony.

Call and Response

A group or individual starts with a line or phrase

Another group “answers” the call Example: cadences used by the

military

Verse and Chorus

Has a verse that changes, chorus that remains the same

Used for hymns and popular music (both country and rock)

Example: Jingle Bells Verse: Dashing through the snow…. Chorus: Jingle Bells……..

Sonata Allegro Form

Similar to ternary, but more extensive

1st part is the Exposition 2nd part is the Development 3rd part is the Recapitulation. Often used as the 1st movement in

the Classical Symphony.

Movements of the Symphony 1st –Fast, heroic movement Often Sonata allegro form 2nd – usually slow and lyrical often theme and variations 3rd – dance type movement

example- minuet, scherzo 4th – fast, heroic movement

Rondo form popular