FORM The Structure of Music

							        FORM:
The Structure of Music:
What is Form?
• General: The overall structure of a piece
  of music.


• Example:                 Notice this house.
  You can                  see that it has two
  wings on either side of the main entry.
  The form of this house would be
  diagramed as ABA Wing Entry Wing.
How does Form appear in
Music?
• Music can also be described in terms of its
  overall form or structure.

• Usually, we focus on the melody or theme
  in order to determine the form. When the
  melody changes, we assign a different
  letter (A= wing of the house, B=Entry way,
  A=other wing). This type of form in music
  would be called ternary or three-part.
Types of Musical Forms
• Binary: Two part = AB (sometimes
  referred to as verse/refrain)
• Ternary: Three part = ABA
  Good example of this is the Minuet and
  Trio. Click here to see the Flash
  Presentation on this type of form.
• An example of this is the third movement
  of Mozart’s Eine kleine nachtmusik
  (CD2/Track 9.) [Classical era]
Types of Musical Form 2
• Rondo: The main theme (A) keeps
  returning. Click here to see the Flash
  presentation on Rondo form.
• A terrific example of this form is the first
  movement of Vivaldi’s “Spring” from the
  Four Seasons. (CD1/Track 18) [Baroque
  Era] Notice how the main theme keeps
  returning.
Types of Musical Form 3
• Theme and Variations: In this form, the main
  theme is presented in its entirety at the
  beginning of the piece. Then the composer
  changes how it sounds by using different
  musical techniques. Click here to see a Flash
  presentation about Theme and Variation.
• A great example of this type of form appears as
  the second movement of Haydn’s Symphony
  No. 94 (Surprise) (CD2/Track 10) [Classical
  Era]
Types of Musical Form 4
• One of the more difficult forms to follow is
  the Sonata Allegro form. Your book
  refers to it as the Sonata form or double
  binary. Please do not use double binary
  form.
• This form appears in the first movement of
  Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. and also
  with Mozart Symphony No. 40. Click here
  to listen to Mozart 40.