FORM IN MUSIC

▪ Form in music refers to the way a piece of music is designed.

▪ Just as the way a literary work is built up of words in sentences, music too has
sentences of musical sounds, punctuation, commas and full stops.
▪ Without a definite plan, music will sound meaningless.
▪ An understanding of form enhances appreciation of music.
▪ The formation of the Sri Lankan “Kavi” is a good example of a composition done
according to a plan or shape

You have noted that

- It has four lines each with four bars.
- The 1st and 3rd lines have the same tune (melody)
- The 2nd and 4th lines have the same tune
- The last note of each line is a long note.
▪ In short a “Kavi” is composed according to a plan or shape.

The basic elements in musical form are, Repetition, Variation, Contrast and Balance.
➢ Repetition - is essential because music cannot be captured by the ear the
same way the eye captures a picture or painting.
➢ Variation – is necessary because without it, with in varied repetition, music
would become intolerable and boring.
 ➢ Contrast - is necessary because even varied repetition of the same material
would become monotonous.
➢ Balance - Makes music meaningful and easy to understand.
▪ Phrases in music are equivalent to the sentences in literary composition.
▪ They are shown by long curved lines.
▪ Note the 4 sentences shown by the long curved lines in the “Kavi”.

Binary Form

❖ The simplest musical form is called BINARY FORM or two part form, also referred
to as AB form. Binary form was very popular during the Baroque period.
❖ Most of the nursery rhymes , Chinese/ Japanese traditional songs are in Binary form.
❖ As the name implies, Binary form has two sections, A and B.
❖ The A section begins in the tonic key and may change or MODULATE (change of key) to
the dominant key or a related key. The B section may begin in the new key and will
return to the original key of section A, at the end. Each section may be repeated as
shown by double bars and repeat dots.

Examples of songs in Binary form

● Brahms Lullaby. https://youtu.be/glJ24gJEsbg

● When Johnny comes marching home https://youtu.be/rUJeRi25eqQ
● Goosey Goosey Gander https://youtu.be/CDxAsPglsGU
● Baa Baa Black sheep https://youtu.be/4dHmoqFb_9A