Musical Form
These remarks on musical form are intended for the young or novice musician
who has as yet received little or no formal music education other than to take private music lessons.
The main premise of this section is that a good knowledge of musical form will enhance a
students' understanding and enjoyment of music and ultimately lead to more competent and stylistically correct performances.
To understand music is a life-long pursuit which can best be accomplished by experiencing music each day .
(Listen, study, practice and perform!)
When discussing musical form, it is helpful to divide the subject into two distinct categories:
1) The form of music (large or outer form) and
2) The form in music (small or inner form).
Form of Music
This large-scale or outer form of music refers to the general framework of a composition,
somewhat comparable to the floor plan of a building.
Throughout Western musical history, composers developed certain formal schemes which they used
as molds for their creative imaginations. The most successful of these forms became traditional and have been widely
used (albeit with modifications) up to this day. Some of the most popular and enduring of these forms are the suite,
symphony, sonata and concerto.
Form in Music
This small-scale or inner form of music refers to the specific content of a composition,
somewhat comparable to the interior design and furnishings of a building.
Here we are dealing with concepts such as interval, motive and phrase, tonality and harmony,
and rhythm and meter to name but a few. In short, form in music relates to all of the materials, techniques
and procedures used by composers to organize their musical ideas.
Following is a listing with brief descriptions of some of the most important musical
genres and terminology. Students are encouraged to study any or all of these as they relate directly to pieces
of music currently being studied.
Large-scale (outer) Form
Single Forms:
1. Variation form a' a'' a''. . .
2. Binary form a b or ||: a :||: b :||
3. Rounded binary form ||: a :||: b a :||
4. Sonata form ||: a :|| b a
5. Ternary form a b a
6. Rondo form a b a c a
Compound Forms (instrumental):
1. Suite
2. Symphony
3. Sonata
4. Concerto
Compound Forms (vocal):
1. Cantata
2. Mass
3. Oratorio
4. Opera
Small-scale (inner) Form
Interval - the distance between any two tones - melodic (successive or harmonic (simultaneous)
Motive - a short melodic and/or rhythmic idea used to construct phrases and melodies
Fragment - a short melodic and/or rhythmic idea taken from a melody or phrase
Phrase - a sub-section of a melody (a group of notes belonging together - comparative to a phrase
in a sentence)
Theme - a complete melody (such as the A or B theme in a sonata movement or as the basis of a
theme and variations)
Melody - the horizontal or linear aspect of music - a complete musical idea (usually the
most important part of a piece and often times the upper most part of the music)
Sequence - the repetition of a motive or phrase at a different pitch level in the same part (often
appearing in groups of two to four)
Imitation - the repetition of a motive or phrase between different parts
Tonality - the idea that a piece of music is written in a certain key with one tone (tonic) being
the most important with all the others being related (and subserviant) to it - also referred to as functional tonality
(as exemplified by the progression I - IV - Vi - V - I)
Harmony - the vertical or chordal aspect of music - more than one note simultaneously (often
times used to support the melody) - also refers to the type and order of chords used (resulting in harmonic progressions)
Modulation - in tonal music, the change from one key center to another (can be temporary or permanent,
frequent or infrequent)
Beat - the recurring pulse of the music - there are a prescribed number of beats in each measure
of music - the beats can be very prominent (as in a march) or very weak (as in a lullaby)
Tempo - the speed of the music (e.g. allegro, moderato, largo) - usually specified in a
piece by a metronome marking (e.g a quarter note = 120 with each quarter note as a beat)
Meter - the organization of music into measures with a specific number of beats in each measure
(identified by time signatures such as 4/4, 3/8 5/16,etc.)
Rhythm - the durational aspect of music - how long something lasts (such as notes, rests, chords,
etc.) - rhythm can be the main musical element (as in percussion parts) or as part of a larger whole (as in melodies and accompaniments)
Suggested Assignment
Click on the link at the top of the page for a piece to analyze. (You may print out the page
for convenience). Then using your understanding of the above forms and concepts, analyze the piece for the following
areas (use a pencil to mark the piece as needed):
1. What is the meter? Does it change or stay the same?
2. What is the key of the music (major or minor)? Does it stay
the same or change?
3. What is the large-scale (outer) form of the piece? (Hint
- look for any repeat signs, D.Cs., D.Ss., etc. that might be present.) Label the main sections
of the piece with letters (a, b, c, d, etc.)
4. Look at the phrase structure in the piece. Locate and mark any examples
you can find of the following: sequences, motives, inversions and variation.
5. Assuming this piece to be for a wind instrument, locate and mark the musically
best places to breathe (use a check mark to indicate a breath). (Hint: Look for long note values and rests.)
6. How many different individual rhythms does the composer use?
(Are there many or only a few?)
7. Does the rhythmic content change noticeably with various sections of the
piece?
8. Locate and circle any important rhythmic groups. (Hint - Look
for repetitive rhythms.)
9. What does the initial tempo marking mean (how fast or slow)? Does
the tempo change or stay the same? Are there any accelerandos or ritards marked?
10. What is the range of the piece (the highest and lowest note)?
11. Does the piece contain mostly wide or narrow intervals? Or a combination of both.
12. Look at the dynamics in the piece. How do these contribute to the overall character
of the music? Does the piece seem to be mostly dramatic or lyrical? Or a combination of both? Where do the
changes occur, if present? Look for any changes in dynamics (crescendos, decrescendos and accents, etc.).
13. Consider the articulations marked in this piece (if any). Are there mostly
slurs or staccatos or a mixture of both? How do these articulations contribute to the overall character of the piece?
13. Now play this piece on your instrument. If you have answered all of the
above questions about this work, then you should already have a good head start towards a correct interpretation of it.
14. After playing the piece once or twice, how does it sound to you -ancient, modern or
some place in between? Now try to determine the composer and/or the style period in which it was written (e.g.
Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or 20th Century). This ability to identify composers and style periods can be cultivated
and refined only by lots of listening. But that's the fun part of music, so get started!
For Further Study
Continue to study the above forms and concepts and apply your insights directly to any piece
on which you might be working, whether it be an etude, solo or a large ensemble piece. If you take private lessons on
your instrument, then your teacher should be helping you with musical interpretation on a weekly basis. These activities,
along with a constant yearning to experience and understand music, will help you continue to grow and mature as a musicain.
Good Luck! and Good Listening!
