Form

Divide music into parts and convential muscial theory gives alphabet labels to the miscial parts within a composition.

1-part form: A
e.g. Happy Birthday - is the most primitive song structure sometimes refered as the air or ballad form. The melody is repeated with slight variation.

2-part form: AB
Binary form contain 2 contrasting sections functioning as statement and counterstatement. e.g. Greensleeves in AABB

Song form: ABA
3-part or tertiary form. One of the simpliest way to write in song form is to vary and repeat the melody e.g. Twinkle twinkle little star. Another variation of song form is AABA with B bridging the stretched A.

Arch form: ABCBA

Classical form
- sonata - common in period from mid 1700 to early 20 century. Sonata are based on song form (ABA). The first part is the exposition which presents the main theme of the song as well as 2 or 3 minor themes. The second part (or B part) is called development often sounds belonging to another musical piece, usually in different ey and even different time Signature. The 3rdpart is to return to the theme and called recapitulation.

Sonata has its roots in language - in this case, the sonnet. In sonnet (like those Shakespeare wrote), the first quatrain (4-line verse) consists of 2 set of rhyming pairs (A part), whereas the second verse consists of 2 comptelely dofferent set of rhyming pairs (B part). The 3rd verse retruns to the rhyming A section.

- rondo (ABACA) or ABACADA. The A seciton is called refrain ties the pieces together. B, C and D are called episodes can be in any key or time signature. Rondo also has its roots in poetry. In 13th century France, the rondeau was a popular form of street poetry which often set to music

- Concerto - contrasts between having a large ensemble playing a section of music and a solo/smaller group playing the same or similar section.

- Symphony - performed by an orchestra. It combines several different muscial forms into one piece of music harmoniously. There are traditionally 4 movements in a symphony
(a) Sonata Allegro
(b) Slower movement
(c) Minuet or scherzo
(d) combination of sonata and rondo, a thematic repeat of the first movement.

- Fugue - first form that fully utiliuze the left hand of the pianist. The treble clef and the bass lef take turns carrying the melody.

- Divertimento - a light and short form of instrumental chamber music has several short movement chiefly for entertainment value.

- Minimalism - extremem simplication of rhythms, patten and harmonies. Prolonged chordal or melodic repetitions and often in trancelike effect - AAAA....

- Through composed - no repetitious of themes

Popular forms
- blues - AABA patternof I, IV and V

- rock - 32 bar compounded blue. One plays the first 32 bars, go to the second bridge and repeat the first 32 bars again e.g. every breath you take

- verse-chorus form: Intro ABAVBCB
Intro us usually instrumental and set the mood, or short spoken piece
A (verse) being the story of the song
B (chorus) is the hook of the osng, both lyrically and musically, should be the most memorable, anthemic part of the song. Often the title too
A (verse) is the part 2 of the story
B (chorus) reinforce the hook to make it memorable
C (bridge) can be instrumental or lyrical and is differnt sounding than the verse or chorus
B (end, chorus) repeat chorus to fade or just stop at the I chord (candence) after one time through