4.2.2 Form

Music Theory

4.2.2 Form

Learners can:

• Differentiate types of form.
• Identify patterns of unique forms with letters of the alphabet.
• Vocabulary: binary form, ternary form, through-composed, strophic form, rondo form, sonata form, modulation

Types of Themes

You have learned that form is identified by repeating sections or similar sections in music. Each unique section of music with its own individual melodic structure is known as a theme. There are two types of themes.

• A primary theme is typically the first one that is heard and is often returned to and repeated most often.
• A secondary theme is one that is still recognizable but is not the central theme and does not occur as often. A piece of music can have multiple secondary themes.

Tiny Pockets

Types of Form

There are many different types of form that you will learn about today:

• through-composed
• strophic form
• binary form
• ternary form
• rondo form
• sonata form

Binary Form

Two Sections

• Primary Theme – A
• Secondary Theme - B

Prefix Bi means 2

Ternary Form

Two Themes

• Primary Theme – A
• Secondary Theme – B
• A section repeats

A B A If varied, the A section is labeled A’ ( the ‘ is “prime”)

Strophic Form

• Strophic form is based upon verses, or stanzas, and choruses
• A verse and a chorus both feature repeating music
• Each verse has the same or similar melodic structure each time it is repeated
• Each chorus has the same or similar melodic structure each time it is repeated with the same words or lyrics each time.

Through-Composed

• no repeated themes throughout
• Primary Theme – A
• each time a theme appears, it is new to the listener
• Through-composed music will be indicated as a single “A”
• The song on the cat is through composed; click around and notice you will not hear repeating sections.

Rondo Form

• An extension of binary and ternary forms
• each time a theme appears, it is new to the listener

• A, B, A, C, A
• A, B, A, C, A, D, A, E, A, F, A, and so on

Repeat Signs

• Tell a performer to play a segment of music twice.

Repeat Signs

Modulation

Remember, modulation is when a song change what key (or scale) a song is in during the song. Listen to the two audio examples. They are the same song, but notice how audio 2 is slightly higher. This is an example of modulation.

Reflect

Reflect

Questions

Questions

Questions

Match

A, B, A

Binary

A, B

Ternary

Rondo

A, B, A, C, A, D, A, E

Compose!

Music Lab

Beepbox

With any remaining time, spend some time practicing composition!

Summary

In today's lesson, you:

• Differentiated types of form.
• Identified patterns of unique forms with letters of the alphabet.

Next time, we will review key signatures