Musical Form

Lesson 2/93 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Music Theory

Musical Form

The term "musical form" refers to the underlying structure of a piece of music. This could be a sequence of verses and choruses, or an A section and a contrasting B section, or a repeating chord pattern or bass line. The most common forms are Binary (an A section followed by a B section - e.g., verse and chorus) and Ternary (usually an A section followed by a B section, then a return to the A section, sometimes an exact repeat, other times not).

The song Greensleeves is an example of Binary form. The A section is played twice (first and second endings) and is then followed by the B section which ends the piece. The whole form can then be repeated with different lyrics for extra verses.

The chromatic scale can be built on any note. Here is the D chromatic scale:

Here is a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach which uses ternary form (A B A)

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Peter Gelling

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1- More About Harmony 2- Transposing 3- Keys and Key Signatures 4- Sixteenth Notes 5- Simple and Compound Time 6- Intervals 7- Chords 8- The Major Scale 9- Chord Inversions 10- Minor Keys And Scales 11- Tones and Semitones 12- Scale Tone Chords 13- Dynamics 14- Secondary Triads 15- Ledger Lines 16- INTRODUCTION 17- Musical Form 18- How to Read Music 19- Glossary of Musical Terms 20- The Bass Staff 21- Dotted Notes 22- More titles by LearnToPlayMusic.com 23- Swing Rhythms 24- Minor Key Scale Tone Triads 25- Seventh Chord 26- Note Values 27- G Major Chord Inversions 28- Accidentals 29- Six Eight Time ( <span class="symbolA">)</span> ) 30- Interval Qualities 31- Scale Tone Seventh Chords 32- Chord Construction – Triads 33- Syncopation 34- Learning Minor Scales in all keys 35- Chord Progressions 36- 12 Bar Blues 37- Approach to Practice 38- Primary Triads 39- Chord Functions 40- Chords in Other Minor Keys 41- The Key Cycle 42- The Notes on The Treble Staff 43- Notes on The Bass Staff 44- Bar Lines 45- The Three Four Time Signature 46- The Lead-in 47- Volume Changes 48- Sharps 49- The Octave 50- Harmonizing Melodies 51- Major Scales in All Keys 52- Enharmonic Notes 53- The Grand Staff 54- Time Signatures 55- The Two Four Time Signature 56- Transposing in Minor Keys 57- Voice Leading 58- Slurs 59- Harmony 60- Grouping Notes in Compound Time 61- Tempo Markings 62- Relative Keys 63- Interval Distances 64- Arpeggios 65- Scale Degrees 66- Double Sharps and Double Flats 67- The Chromatic Scale 68- Tempo Changes 69- Identifying Intervals By Ear 70- Rests 71- Harmonic Minor Scale Tone Chords 72- Chord Symbols 73- Grouping Eighth Notes 74- Practice Progressions 75- Flats 76- Melodies to Harmonize With Primary Triads 77- Twelve Eight Time ( <span class="symbolA">+</span> ) 78- Rhythm Notation 79- Staccato 80- C Major Scale Over Four Octaves 81- Grouping Notes And Rests 82- Ties 83- Melodic Minor Scale Tone Chords 84- Major Scale Pattern 85- Major Key Triad Pattern 86- Melodies to Harmonize 87- Cadences 88- Scale Tone Chords in All Keys 89- The G Major Scale 90- Further Study 91- Common Progressions 92- The F Major Scale 93- Other Major Scales

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Musical Form

Musical Form

Peter Gelling

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