IES Las Encinas 1º de ESO Proyecto Bilingüe

Unit 7:
Musical form

Index:

1. Some musical forms…

2. Musical form in popular music

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IES Las Encinas 1º de ESO Proyecto Bilingüe

Basic vocabulary

Block /capital letters: letras mayúsculas.

Bridge: puente.

Chorus: estribillo.

Scheme: esquema.

Stanza: copla.

Strophic form: forma estrófica.

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IES Las Encinas 1º de ESO Proyecto Bilingüe

Musical form is the structure of a

musical composition. Musical form depends
on the disposition of certain structural units
successively in time. The main units in a
musical composition are the sections and
we are going to mark them using block
letters (A, B, C...). The relationship between
the sections is the logic of the form and can
be repetition, variation and contrast, the
three fundamental characteristics of musical
form.

1. Some musical forms...

• Strophic form (AAAA...)

In music, strophic form is a way of structuring a piece of music based on

the repetition of one formal section. A work in strophic form may be analyzed as
A A A... or A A' A".... Most folk and popular songs are strophic in form

A A` A” …

• Binary form

Binary form uses two sections (AB...); each section is often repeated (AABB...)

A B

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IES Las Encinas 1º de ESO Proyecto Bilingüe

• Ternary form

Ternary form has three parts. In Western classical music a simple ternary form
has a third section that is a recapitulation of the first (ABA). Often the first
section is repeated (AABA)

A B A

• Rondo form

Rondo form has a recurring theme alternating with different (usually

contrasting) sections called episodes. It may be asymmetrical (ABACADAEA) or
symmetrical (ABACABA).

A B A C A B A

• Variational forms

Variational forms are those in which variation is an important formative

element. Theme and Variations is a theme, which in itself can be of any shorter
form (binary, ternary, etc.) and is repeated indefinitely (as in strophic form) but is
varied each time (AA1A2A3A4A5A6).

A A1 A2 A3 …

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IES Las Encinas 1º de ESO Proyecto Bilingüe

2. Musical form in popular music

The structures or musical forms

of songs in popular music are typically
sectional forms, such as strophic form.
The more common parts are:

• Introduction

The introduction is a unique

section that comes at the beginning of
the piece.

• Stanza or verse

In music, a stanza, or verse, is a poem set with a recurring pattern of both

rhyme and meter. Normally verses have the same structure but different lyrics.

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IES Las Encinas 1º de ESO Proyecto Bilingüe

• Chorus

Chorus is used to mean the refrain of a song, which often sharply contrasts
the verse melodically, rhythmically, and harmonically, and assumes a higher level
of dynamics and activity, often with added instrumentation. Normally a chorus
will repeat the music and lyrics.

• Bridge

In song writing, a bridge is an interlude that connects two parts of that song,
building a harmonic connection between those parts.

• Instrumental Solo

A solo is a section of reduced instrumentality designed to feature a single

performer. A break is an instrumental or percussion section that forms an
interlude during a song.

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IES Las Encinas 1º de ESO Proyecto Bilingüe

Exercise 1: translate the following terms and fill in the blanks using them.

Logic of the form:

Sections:

Variation:

Structure:

Repetition:

Structural units:

Capital / Block letters:

Contrast:

Musical form is the __________________ of a musical composition. Musical

form depends on the disposition of certain _______________________successively in
time. The main units in a musical composition are the________________ and we are
going to mark them using __________________(A, B, C...). The relationship between
the sections is the _______________________and can be ______________,
______________and________________, the three fundamental characteristics of
musical form.

In your own words, tell me what is musical form?

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IES Las Encinas 1º de ESO Proyecto Bilingüe

Exercise 2: complete the scheme and write the type of musical form

1)
____________________________________

2)
_____________________________________

3)

_______________________________________________

Exercise 3: Match with arrows and put the parts in the correct order.

Stanza / verse It´s an interlude that connects two

parts of that song

Instrumental Solo It´s the refrain of a song

Chorus It´s a unique section that comes at

the beginning of the piece.

Bridge It´s a section of reduced

instrumentality

Introduction It´s a poem set with a recurring

pattern of both rhyme and meter