FORMS OF MUSIC

 What is form of music?

In music, form of music is referred to as the structure and organization of any musical composition.

 Types Of Musical Forms:

a.      Strophic form.

b.     Binary form.

c.     Ternary form.

d.     Rondo form

e.     Medley or Chain For

      Variational form. 

      Sonata-allegro form. Etc.

Strophic Form

Strophic Form is a type of musical form when only one phrase or passage is repeated throughout the piece. It can also be also be referred to as verse-repeating form or chorus form because it doesn’t vary at all.

A good example of a piece that uses strophic form is Amazing Grace.

A AA

Binary Form

A piece with Binary Form has two sections that are approximately equal in length and importance.

They tend to be similar not only in length but will often in harmony too.

It is written as either:

A B or A A B B

A good example of a piece written that uses Binary Form is the folk song Green sleeves.

Ternary Form

Any music piece that is divided into three parts, in which the third part repeats the main ideas and passages of the first, has a Ternary Form.

The three sections also tend to be very long and can even be whole movements or pieces.

Because the third part is a repeat of the first, Ternary Form is written as:

A B A. A good example of a piece that uses Ternary Form is “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Rondo Form

Rondo Form is a music form which follows on from Binary and Ternary form by adding some additional sections.

It starts with a main passage or phrase that repeats in between different contrasting sections, called “episodes”.

A B A C A D A

You can also carry on adding more episodes which would be written as

A B A C A D A E A

A good example of a piece of music using Rondo Form is Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”. Etc.