Form Flashcards
Theme
A musical idea, most often in the form of a melody
Repetition
The restatement of a musical idea or section of a work
Variation
A technique of modifying a given musical idea after its first appearance
sonata allegro
Genre, ensemble, sections
A form with three main sections which was developed during the Classical Period; Joseph Haydn was an important early proponent
- Genre: classical
- Common ensembles: orchestra, string quartet
Sections:
Exposition (repeats)
Theme 1, Transition, Theme 2, Closing Theme (Codetta)
Development
Recapitulation (same form as exposition)
12-bar blues
Genre, ensemble, types
A 12-bar form used in blues music; the form repeats continuously under melody and improvised solos
- Common genre: blues
- Common ensembles: voice/ guitar, band
Types:
o Delta Blues: The original 12-bar blues form, originating in the Mississippi delta in the late 1800s; blues and jazz musicians later developed this form by adding and substituting harmonies (see Jazz Blues, Minor Blues, and New York blues below)
o Jazz Blues: A ii-V-I chord progression is inserted into the end of the Delta Blues form (during the ‘turnaround’ section)
o Minor Blues: The I and IV chords of the Delta Blues become minor (i and iv), and the turnaround is altered (typically ii-V-i or VI-V-i)
o New York Blues: Passing chords are inserted in between other chords of the Jazz Blues
AABA
Genre, ensemble, sections
A form with four sections which is used prominently in jazz; like the 12-bar blues form, the AABA form repeats continuously under melody and improvised solos
- Each section is 8 bars in duration; the entire form is 32 bars long
- ‘Rhythm changes’ is a common set of chords used over the AABA form
Genre and Ensembles
* Common genre: jazz
* Common ensembles: jazz combo, jazz big band
Sections
o First ‘A’ section: the main melody
o Second ‘A’ section: the main melody is repeated, often with a variation at the end
o ‘B’ section: a contrasting melody, with different harmony than the A section
o Third ‘A’ section: the main melody returns; this section is typically the same as the second A section (with variation at end)
verse-chorus, verse-refrain, verse-hook,
Common genre, ensemble
- Verse-Chorus: A form which alternates between verse and chorus sections; other sections are also used (e.g., pre-chorus, bridge)
- Common genres: folk, pop, rock, R&B
- Common ensembles: band, solo artist
- Verse-Refrain: Similar to verse-chorus form, but alternating between verse and refrain
- Common genres: folk, pop, rock, R&B
- Common ensembles: band, solo artist
- Verse-Hook: Similar to verse-chorus form, but alternating between verse and hook
- Common genre: hip-hop
- Common ensembles: hip-hop group, solo artist
Strophic
Genre & ensemble
A musical structure in which the verse section repeats throughout the piece; no other sections are used
* The lyrics are different in each verse
* The music is the same in each verse (i.e., melody, harmony, rhythm)
* Verses are sometimes altered throughout strophic pieces, resulting in Modified Strophic form
Genres and Ensembles
* Common genres: all
* Common ensembles: N/A
Through-composed
Genre and ensemble
Through-Composed: A musical structure in which the music changes continuously throughout the piece, without stating any given section more than once
* The progressive rock and progressive metal genres use this form
* Both the lyrics and music change from one section to the next throughout the piece
Genres and Ensembles
* Common genres: None
* Common ensembles: N/A
verse
A section which tells the story of the song
Each verse has the same music, but different words
Chorus
A section which relays the message of the song
Each chorus has the same music and the same words
Refrain
Same as chorus, but shorter; typically only one or two lines
Hook
Same as chorus, but shorter; typically only one or two lines but in hip-hop
Pre-chorus
Builds to chorus
Post-chorus
Maintains energy of chorus; often includes a chant or repeated phrase
Bridge
A contrasting section with unique music and lyrics, typically occurring once in the song
Often occurs two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through the song
Instrumental Solo
Most often guitar (in folk, pop, and rock genres, at least); improvised or pre-composed; without words (i.e., instrumental)
Form
The structure of a piece of music
