Download Structure in Music

Structure – how music is organised
• Music needs to be organised/planned.
• This will make it sound better and easier to
write.
• The most basic bit of organisation is the
beats of a bar. Then the phrasing.
• The overall shape is called structure or
form e.g verses and chorus in pop song
or the movements in a symphony.
Repetition & Contrast
• Repetition means using a musical idea
more than once.
• Repeating bits gives music shape.When
an audience hear a tune again it works like
a landmark i.e. they know where they are.
• If you are planning your own piece of
music try repeating the best part of the
tune.
Repetition & Contrast
• Although repetition is really important,
constant repetition is boring.
• Good compositions balance repetition with
contrast i.e to do something different from
the repeated bits to add variety.
• There is contrast in every piece of music.
• Verse and chorus structure of a pop song
is one obvious way of using contrast.
Binary Form
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Binary means in two parts .
First bit is ‘A’ and the second is ‘B’ i.e. AB
Each section can be repeated : AABB
Section B contrasts with section A – the
two parts should sound different.
• The contrast is often made by changing
key.
Binary Form
Ternary Form
• Ternary means in three parts – three
sections of music.
• ABA.
• If each section repeats: AABBAA.
• When the music goes back to A for the last
section it can be exactly the same or
varied a bit e.g. with ornaments.
• If it is varied, call it A1 instead of A.
• E.g. A1 – B – A2
Ternary Form
Rondo Form
• Rondo can have any number of sections.
• Rondo means going round.
• It starts with a main idea section A, moves
into another new section, goes round
again to A….. As many times as you like.
• ABACADAEAFA etc
• The new section after Section A always
contrasts with A. Section A always returns.
Rondo Form
Theme and Variations
• There is a main theme – often simple and
easy to remember
• After this theme the composer presents
the theme again but changes it or
disguises it or alters it in different ways
• A composer may change the tonality
(major-minor), rhythm, tempo,
instrumentation etc
Theme and Variations
theme
etc