Form Explained

Form Is the Basic Structure

A well-circulated definition of music is "organized sound." When you organize sound into something recognizable (such as a song), it follows a formal structure. If it doesn't, it is not music. It is noise. Every piece of music has an overall plan or structure, the “big picture,” so to speak. This is called the form of the music.

Labeling Form with Letters

Letters can be used to label the form of any piece of music, from the simplest to the most complex. Each major section of the music is labeled with a letter; for example, the first section is the A section. If the second section (or third or fourth) is exactly the same as the first, it is also labeled A. If it is very much like the A section, but with some important differences, it can be labeled A’ (pronounced “A prime”). The A’ section can also show up later in the piece, or yet another variation of A, A” (pronounced “A double prime”) can show up, and so on.

The first major section of the piece that is very different from A is labeled B, and other sections that are like it can be labeled B, B’, B”, and so on. Sections that are not like A or B are labeled C, and so on.

How do you recognize the sections? With familiar kinds of music, this is pretty easy. With unfamiliar types of music, it can be more of a challenge. Whether the music is classical, modern, jazz, or pop, listen for repeated sections of music. Also, listen for big changes, in the rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, and timbre. A new section that is not a repetition will usually have noticeable differences in more than one of these areas.

Most folk and popular music features simple forms that encourage participation.

Practice identifying some easy musical forms. Pick some favorite songs and listen to each repeatedly until you are satisfied that you have identified its full form using letters and primes. Compare the forms of the tunes to spot similarities and differences.

Listen for:

Verses have the same melody but different words.
Refrains have the same melody and the same words.
Bridge Sections are new material that appears late in the song, usually appearing only once or twice, often in place of a verse and usually leading into the refrain.
Instrumentals are important sections that have no vocals. They can come at the beginning or end, or in between other sections. Is there more than one? Do they have the same melody as a verse or refrain? Are they similar to each other?

MOTIVES AND PHRASES

A Motive is the smallest identifiable musical idea. Can consist of a pitch pattern or a rhythmic pattern or both as you can see.

A Phrase is a relatively independent musical idea terminated by a cadence. Phrases are labeled in lower case letters. (a,b,c)

A Sub-phrase is a portion of a phrase, but i is not a phrase because it is not terminated by a cadence . It can also be though of as a half or part of a phrase.

Phrases are often combined to form a larger structural unit called a period.

Elision - when the last note of a one phrase serves as the first note of the next one.

PERIOD FORMS

A Period consists of two phrases in an antecedent-consequent (question/answer). Typically a stronger cadence is used at the end of the second phrase.

Repeated Phrase - when both phrases are identical - by definition phrase endings in a period must be different.

A repeated phrase or repeated period does not produce a new kind of formal unit and should not be confused with a period or double period.

We use the term Parallel Period if both phrases begin with similar or identical material, even if that material is embellished.

We use the term Contrasting Period when the phrases in a period are NOT similar and are contrasting.

A genuine Three-phrase period or (phrase group) has three different phrases - two antecedent and a consequent OR one antecedent and two consequent. The term Phrase group is used when phrases seem to belong together structurally through not constituting a period or double period.Also known as a group of phrases that seem to belong together without forming a period or double period.

A Double Period consists typically of four phrases in two pairs, the cadence at the end of the second pair being stronger than the cadence at the end of the first pair. Double periods are just like periods, except that each half of the structure consists of two phrases rather than just one.

Notice that a repeated period is not the same as a double period because a double period requires contrasting cadences.

Both periods and double periods may be either parallel or contrasting, according to whether the two halves begin with similar melodic material..

Double Periods are called Parallel or Contrasting according to whether the melodic material that begins the two halves of the double period is similar.