Unit 3 - Form

UNIT 3: Form
Table of Contents
Introduction 2
Review 3
Lesson 1: Unitary Form 4

Learning Targets 4
Let’s Warm Up! 4
Learn about It! 5
Check Your Understanding 7
Challenge Yourself! 8
Let’s Jam! 8
Lesson 2: Strophic Form 9

Learning Targets 9
Let’s Warm Up! 9
Learn about It! 10
Check Your Understanding 14
Challenge Yourself! 14
Let’s Jam! 15
Did You Know? 15
Web Links 16
Performance Task 16
Self Check 18
Wrap Up 19
Bibliography 20
Glossary 20
1
Copyright © 2018 Quipper Limited
GRADE 5
UNIT 3
Form
Fig. 1. Structure is important to any art, especially music.

Source by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
(https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2013/07/12/18/17/equalizer-153212_960_720.png)
Introduction
Structures are all around us. Houses and buildings have steel frames which dictate how wide
or how high they are built. Cakes with multiple layers have wooden dowels to keep them from
collapsing. Even our bodies have a structure: they have bones that keep muscles and other
tissues in place!
2
Can you imagine if these structures didn’t exist? None of these would be able to stay standing.
Music is just the same way; it needs some structure to keep it together. This structure is what
we call f orm.
In this unit, we will cover two forms: unitary and strophic. We will also look at examples of
music that use these forms.
Review
● Melody is a sequence of notes heard as one complete unit.

● A phrase is a series of pitches that conveys one complete thought. It may be one
complete melody or a shorter section of a melody.
3
Lesson 1: Unitary Form
Learning Targets
In this lesson, you should be able to:

● define what unitary form is;
● analyze examples of songs in unitary form; and
● compose original unitary compositions.
Do you remember singing nursery rhymes when you were younger? If you noticed, those
were short songs and were also easy to learn. W
hat do you think this short form is called?
Let’s Warm Up!
1. Sing the song “Leron Leron Sinta” as a class.

2. Clap the tempo of the song while singing.
4
Learn about It!
When you were younger, you probably sang a lot of nursery rhymes in preschool. Through
these songs, your teachers taught you about many different things, including letters,
numbers, body parts, places, colors, and shapes.
Did you notice that these songs are short, simple, and easy to learn? This is because these
nursery rhymes are written in a form called the u
nitary form.
Unitary comes from the word “unit,” which means “one.” This means that a unitary song only
has one section. For now, we will call this section a verse. Below is a diagram to help you
remember. We will be using a similar one later in the lesson. We will label sections, or verses,
using the letter A.
Fig. 1.1 T
he unit/section label
5
Songs in Unitary Form
Two familiar songs written in unitary form are “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “The
Birthday Song.”
Fig. 1.2 T
winkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Fig. 1.3 T
he Birthday Song
Both songs only have one section. They have no other verses or choruses, so we can say that
these are in a unitary form.
Unitary songs are simple and easy to write, and therefore, easy to remember.
6
T
ry It Yourself
Sing the song “Frere Jacques.” How many sections does it have?
T
ry It Yourself
Create a simple 4-line poem about your favorite hobby.

Apply a simple melody to the poem and perform it in front of the class.
Check Your Understanding
Fill in the blanks with the correct answers.
1. Music has a structure, also called _________.

2. Unitary comes from the word ________.
3. A song with only one section is described as ________ in form.
4. A section is also called a _________.
5. A good example of a unitary song is __________.
6. Unitary songs are usually _______ in length.
7. Unitary songs are simple and easy to write, therefore easy to ____________.
8. ________________ and _______________ are examples of songs written in unitary form.
9. Songs written in unitary form have no other verses or ___________.
10. Nursery rhymes teach children many things like letters, numbers, body parts,
places, shapes, and ___________.
7
Challenge Yourself!
Write T
rue if the statement is correct and F
alse if the statement is incorrect.
_____ 1. A song in unitary form has one verse and one chorus.
_____ 2. Nursery rhymes are examples of unitary songs.
_____ 3. “Amazing Grace” is a unitary song.
_____ 4. “Unitary” comes from the word “unit.”
_____ 5. Songs in unitary form are simple and easy to remember.
Let’s Jam!
Activity 1: Pick a product you have at home. Write a short radio jingle (8 measures maximum)
in unitary form. Make sure it has a catchy melody.
Activity 2: Perform your radio jingle in front of the class.
8
Lesson 2: Strophic Form
Learning Targets
In this lesson, you should be able to:

● define what a strophic form is;
● analyze examples of songs in strophic form; and
● create original strophic compositions.
Have you listened to a hymn or a ballad? If you’ve noticed, most hymns and ballads have
multiple verses. What are songs with many verses called?
Let’s Warm Up!
1. Study the song “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan.

2. As a class, sing the melody of the song.
3. Divide the class into three.
4. Sing the song once more. This time, have each of the three groups sing one verse of the
song.
9
Learn about It!
Sometimes one verse is just not enough to express a composer’s ideas and feelings, so the
music is made longer by adding more sections. The next form we will tackle is a form with
multiple sections, called the s trophic form.
In the strophic form, a song is divided into sections called strophes, more commonly known as
verses. A verse is typically made up of between 8 to 24 bars. All the verses have the same
melody but have different lyrics.
While there are children’s songs that are in strophic form, this is most commonly used in
hymns and ballads, as well as country and folk music. A typical structure looks like this:
Fig. 2.1 T
he strophic structure.
As you can see a strophic song has multiple verses, symbolized by the letter A, but have
different lyrics. This simple structure makes the song easy to remember as well because
there are no more additional sections that have different melodies, such as a chorus or a
bridge.
In pop music, the A is repeated up to three times, but in folk and other traditional music, there
can be more than three verses.
10
Amazing Grace
John Newton in 1773 wrote this hymn. Before becoming an Anglican priest, he was a slave
trader. The song was written after his slave-trading ship encountered a storm, resulting in a
near-death experience. It prompted him to convert to Christianity. Read the text below:
11
As you can see, the hymn has seven verses, all with the same melody. It makes the song
strophic in form.
The strophic form is advantageous because although it has many verses, the melody stays the
same.
12
Other Examples of Songs in Strophic Form
● Kumbaya, My Lord — a gospel hymn
● Blowin’ in the Wind — Bob Dylan
● I Got Peace Like a River — a children’s song
● If You’re Happy and You Know It — a children’s song
● Old Macdonald had a Farm — a children’s song
T
ry It Yourself
Study and sing the song “Kumbaya, My Lord.”
T
ry It Yourself
Listen to the song “I Got Peace Like a River.” Draw something to represent each verse of the
song.
T
ry it Yourself
Sing the melody of “Amazing Grace.” Create appropriate choreography, and perform the song
as a class.
13
Check Your Understanding
Fill in the blanks with the correct answers.
1. A form with multiple verses using the same melody is described as ______________ in
form.
2. Verses are also called __________.
3. Strophic forms are usually seen in ______ and _______.
4. In pop music, a strophic form usually has _______ verses.
5. The verses have the same melody, but different __________.
6. A verse is typically made up of 8 to _______ bars.
7. “Amazing Grace” was written by ___________ in 1773.
8. Before becoming an Anglican priest, he was a __________.
9. He wrote the hymn after his slave-trading ship was caught in a __________.
10. “Amazing Grace” has ________ verses.
Challenge Yourself!
Write T
rue if the statement is correct and F
alse if the statement is incorrect.
_____ 1. A song in strophic form has multiple verses and a chorus.
_____ 2. Most hymns and ballads are written in strophic form.
_____ 3. Strophic forms are also found in folk and country music.
_____ 4. “Amazing Grace” was written by John Newman.
_____ 5. He was a slave trader before becoming an Anglican priest.
14
Let’s Jam!
Activity 1: Divide the class into three groups and designate which group will be group 1,
group 2, and group 3. Study the song “Kumbaya, My Lord,” and sing it as a class.
Activity 2: Sing with the whole class.

Group 1, sing the second verse (“someone’s singing…”).
Group 2, sing the third verse (“someone’s crying…”).
Group 3, sing the third verse (“someone’s praying…”).
After all the groups have sung, repeat the first verse altogether.
Activity 3: As a group, come up with choreography for your respective assigned verses.
Did You Know?
The 12-bar blues were famous in the ‘50s and ‘60s and were a central part of rock ‘n roll
history, with artists such as The Beatles, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, and Chuck Berry using
the form on a lot of their songs.
The 12-bar blues is s trophic in form, with a repeated pattern of only three chords.
15
W
eb Links
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=28&v=WlKk0HNm-aM
● https://youtu.be/qNuQbJst4Lk?t=298
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ijT4RVERY
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPa0rjDtVMQ
Performance Task
The Next Viral Hit!

Purpose:
At the end of this activity, the students should be able to:
● create an original strophic song; and
● perform your tune with rhythmic and melodic accuracy.
Role: You work as a composer for an advertising company, and you’ve been chosen to create
the jingle for one of your client’s newest products.
Competence: You must compose a 2-stanza jingle in strophic form for a chosen product to
meet your client’s specifications.
Procedure:
1. Divide the class into groups of four.
2. Pick a product to write a jingle for. Treat it as a new product or an improved version of
an older product.
3. Create a song in strophic form, having two stanzas with four lines each. Make sure your
song is catchy.
16
4. Perform the song in class. You may use accompaniment and incorporate choreography.
5. Your teacher will act as your client. He or she will choose which jingle is the catchiest.
6. After all are done performing, and the teacher has chosen the catchiest jingle, have a
sharing of insights, facilitated by your teacher.
Key Guide Questions
1. What product did you choose?

2. What steps did you take to make your song catchy?
3. Was it easy for you to create the jingle? Was it difficult?
4. How did the group collaborate in the writing process?
Reflective Questions
1. Was it easy or difficult to write as a group? Why or why not?

2. Did the activity help you understand what an advertising composer does?
3. Would you consider working in the advertising industry when you grow up?
17
Self Check
Check I can…
Explain the meaning of form
Explain why form is important in music
Define what a verse is
Explain what unitary form is
Give examples of songs that are unitary in form
Explain what a strophic song is
Give examples of songs that are strophic in form
Write my own unitary and strophic songs
18
Wrap Up
Unitary Strophic
Structure Structure:
● has one verse ● has multiple verses with the same
melody
Advantages: Advantages:
● simple ● has the same melody for all verses,
● easy to remember making it easier to learn
Used in: Used in:
● nursery rhymes ● church hymns
● radio, TV, and social media ● ballads
advertisements ● folk music
19
Bibliography
Sheet. "Amazing Grace." Amazing Grace Lyrics | John Newton.
https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Amazing_Grace/.
"American Icons: 'Amazing Grace'." Public Radio International. Accessed January 31, 2019.
https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-04-19/american-icons-amazing-grace.
Kirby, F.E. "Musical Form." Encyclopædia Britannica. January 07, 2015. Accessed January 31,
2019. https://www.britannica.com/art/musical-form.
"Music Appreciation 1." Lumen Learning. Accessed January 3, 2019.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-musicappreciationtheory/chapter/binary-form/
Songstuff. "AAA Song Form." Songstuff. Accessed January 31, 2019.

http://www.songstuff.com/song-writing/article/song-form-guide-aaa/.
Glossary
Ballad r efers to a slow song about romance.

Chorus refers to a section in a song that is repeated after the verse.
Hymn refers to a religious song sung in churches.
Jingles refers to short songs used in advertisements.
Nursery rhymes refers to short songs for children.
Section refers to any part of a song.
Strophic refers to a form in music having multiple verses with the same melody.
Unitary refers to a form in music having only one verse.
Verse refers to a stanza of lines in a song.
20

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UNIT 3: Form

Lesson 1: Unitary Form 4

Lesson 2: Strophic Form 9

Did You Know? 15

Fig. 1​. Structure is important to any art, especially music.

● Melody ​is a sequence of notes heard as one complete unit.

In this lesson, you should be able to:

Let’s Warm Up!

1. Sing the song “Leron Leron Sinta” as a class.

Create a simple 4-line poem about your favorite hobby.

Check Your Understanding

Fill in the blanks with the correct answers.

1. Music has a structure, also called _________.

Activity 2:​ Perform your radio jingle in front of the class.

In this lesson, you should be able to:

Let’s Warm Up!

1. Study the song “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan.

Fill in the blanks with the correct answers.

Activity 2​: Sing with the whole class.

Did You Know?

The Next Viral Hit!

Key Guide Questions

1. What product did you choose?

1. Was it easy or difficult to write as a group? Why or why not?

Explain the meaning of form

Explain why form is important in music

Define what a verse is

Explain what unitary form is

Give examples of songs that are unitary in form

Explain what a strophic song is

Give examples of songs that are strophic in form

Write my own unitary and strophic songs

"Music Appreciation 1." Lumen Learning. Accessed January 3, 2019.

Songstuff. "AAA Song Form." Songstuff. Accessed January 31, 2019.

Ballad r​ efers to a slow song about romance.

You might also like

Fig. 1. Structure is important to any art, especially music.

● Melody is a sequence of notes heard as one complete unit.

Activity 2: Perform your radio jingle in front of the class.

Activity 2: Sing with the whole class.

Ballad r efers to a slow song about romance.