Transcript Structure and Form File

Area of Study 05:
Structure and Form
AQA GCSE Music
Areas of Study
• AoS 01: Rhythm and Metre
• AoS 02: Harmony and Tonality
• A0S 03: Texture and Melody
• AoS 04: Dynamics and Timbre
• AoS 05: Structure and Form
What is Structure and Form?
The way musical ideas are arranged and
ordered in a composition
Needs to have the right balance of
repetition and contrast
Binary
• Two sections of roughly equal length
• First section (A) is then answered by the second
section (B)
• Each section is usually repeated
• There is usually a modulation (Key Change) in
Section A which is continued into Section B,
where there is another modulation changing the
key signature back to the beginning one.
A
Each Section Usually Repeats
B
Track 01
Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 6 (K.284 III)
Ternary
• Built up in three sections: A, B, A
• Section B contains a contrast in some way to
Section A
• The repeat of Section A can be exactly the
same as the first time or it may have added
detail to make it more interesting
A1
B
A2
Track 02
Schubert
Piano
Sonata No.
13 in A
major, D.
664 (Op.
120) I
Track 03
Ternary – Example 02
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Arch-Shape
• This form is completely symmetrical
• The plan of the music resembles an arch;
A, B, C, B, A
A
B
B
A
C
C
Bartók – The 4th and 5th string
quartets by Bartók are examples of
Arch-Shape being used.
A
B
B
A
Rondo Form
• A main theme (A) keeps on returning between
contrasting sections
A, B, A, C, A, D, A and so on
• The contrasting sections are called episodes
(B,C,D etc.)
• Remember the Main Section (A) may change
slightly each time e.g. may be made shorter
A1
(Main
Theme)
B1
(First
Episode)
A2
C
(Repeat of (Second
Main
episode)
Theme)
A3
D
(Repeat of (Third
Main
Episode)
Theme)
A4
(Repeat of
Main
Theme)
Typical Exam Questions (Structure and
Form)
Example 01
A1 A2 A1 A2
A1 A2 B A2
A1 A2 A3 B
A 1 A2 B C
AABAA
ABACA
ABCAA
AABA
AABC
ABAB
Track 04
Example 02
AABBA
Track 05
Example 03
Track 06
AABB
Theme and Variations
• Involves starting a piece with a main theme
which is then repeated several times, but
changing or ‘varying’ each time
• May be changed in;
– Tempo
– Rhythm
– Tonality (e.g. major to minor)
– Ornaments/ Adding extra notes
Excerpt on next
slide
Listen to this piece by
Mozart.
• You should
recognise the main
theme at the start
(Twinkle Twinkle).
• At 34 Seconds, it
moves to the 1st
variation
• At 1min 03secs, it
moves to the 2nd
variation
• Listen to (and look
if you can) the
main and the
variations. There
are a lot of extra
notes added,
decoration of
notes…anything
else?
Theme and Variations
Video 01 - Theme and
Variation - Mozart/ 12
Variations "Ah, vous
dirai-je, maman" KV 265
(Clara Haskil)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO-ecxHEPqI
Ground Bass
• A melody in the bass (the lowest part) that is
repeated throughout the music
• Harmony and Melody may keep changing
above the ground bass
• This is a characteristic common of the
Baroque Period
Ground Bass Examples
• Ground Bass in Classical Music (Baroque);
– Used in Baroque music, enabled the composer to
achieve unity (togetherness) in the music
– The music shows the same bass part/melody being
repeated throughout.
Pachelbel’s Canon in D
Track 08
Pedal
• A sustained (held) or repeated note, usually
in the bass. The harmony on top of a pedal
note must change while the pedal note stays
the same or it is not a pedal note.
• It may be a Tonic pedal or a Dominant pedal
note.
Call and Response
• A musical phrase is sung by one person or
musician and is followed by a responding phrase
by one person or a group of musicians.
• Common in traditional African Music and AfricanAmerican music like Gospel
• Think ‘Oh Happy Day’
• Used in Blues and Jazz too, often found in musical
phrases between Vocals and an instrument.
Track 07
“Oh Happy Day”
• This is a typical example of “Call and Response.”
• Listen to the interaction between the soloist and the group.
• Sung by an African-American Gospel Group.
Minuet and Trio Form
• The Minuet is a dance from 17th/ 18th centuries in
3/4 time, at moderate tempo
• Often performed in the Royal Courts
• The Trio is a ‘thinner textured’ section, often
made up of just three instruments
A1
B
A2
Minuet 1
Trio
Minuet 1
Contrasting tune, key and
texture
A
B
C
D
Repeat of minuet, but
without internal repeats
A
B
Strophic, Through Composed,
Da Capo Aria
• All forms used in vocal music;
Strophic
• When the same tune is repeated throughout for each
verse. Think hymn tunes or Adele’s ‘Make you feel my
love’
Through-Composed
• Opposite of Strophic. When new music occurs for each
verse, changing to reflect different moods or situations
described in the lyrics
Aria
• A solo singer sings a melody with orchestral
accompaniment. Found frequently through operas.
Cyclic Form
• Constant repetition of a fixed number of beats or
melodic pattern
• During each cycle these patterns can be repeated
and developed through;
– improvisation
– changes in texture
– dynamics
• Common in;
• African Drumming music, Indian Classical Music
(Think of the Tabla), and Asian Gamelan music –
World Music
Popular Song Forms
• Popular songs are made up of main sections called;
– Verse – All verses in popular music are usually the same,
repetition of melodies etc. but there may be a change in
terms of more instruments, different words etc.
– Chorus – Repeated as the main, catchy idea of the song,
and is usually repeated throughout with little change
– Bridge
• Some may also involve;
–
–
–
–
Intro
Outro
Fills – Common to use drums or guitar to connect sections
Middle 8s – 8 Bars in the middle of the song that is
sometimes a contrast to the rest of the song.
Popular Song Form
12 – Bar Blues
• 12 Bar song structure used in Blues and other
music such as Rock n Roll, Swing, Jazz etc.
• Based on 3 Chords throughout the whole song
• The 12 bars are repeated throughout the song.
CHORD I
CHORD I
CHORD I
CHORD I
CHORD IV
CHORD IV
CHORD I
CHORD I
CHORD V
CHORD IV
CHORD I
CHORD I
Sonata Form
Large scale musical form in 3 parts:
1)Exposition: Characters are introduced
2)Development: Develops ideas such as
melody & rhythm. It’s dramatic, usually
with many key changes
3)Recapitulation: Brings back musical ideas
from exposition – ‘rounded off’
Sonata Form really is a large musical form, too long to be tested aurally
through musical excerpts in the exam….but be aware of the order and
names of these 3 parts