Form and Forms
| The Main Musical Forms | page |
| strophic form (A A A . . .) | 50, 235 |
| A B A form | 138, 163 |
| ground bass | 83, 119 |
| fugue | 91, 128 |
| ritornello form | 116 |
| Baroque dance form | 132 |
| sonata form | 162 |
| minuet form (Classical dance form) | 173 |
| rondo form | 177 |
| double- |
183 |
| theme and variations | 169 |
Like the word rhythm (see page 4), the word form has a general meaning and also a more specific one. “Form” in general refers to the organization of elements in a musical work, but “a form” refers to one of many standardized formal patterns that composers have used over the centuries. The ones treated later in this book are listed in the margin.
The fixed elements in such forms provide a welcome source of orientation for listeners, but they are always general enough to allow composers endless possibilities on the detailed level. The quality and feeling of works in the same standardized or conventional form can therefore vary greatly.
Musical forms, as standardized patterns, are conventionally expressed by letter diagrams, such as A B A or a b a (small letters tend to be used for shorter sections of music). They will be used again and again in this book. More complicated forms can be indicated through “nesting” capital and lowercase letters:
| A | B | A |
| a b a | c d c | a b a |
As we have said, two basic factors create musical form: repetition and contrast. In A B A form, one of the simplest, the element of repetition is A and the element of contrast is B. Some sort of tune or theme or other musical section is presented at the beginning (A), then comes another section (B) that contrasts with the first, and then the first one again (A). If A returns with significant modification, this can be indicated by a prime mark: A′.
It seems clear enough. Yet the letters tell us only so much. With any particular work, what about the specific music they stand for? Is B in a different mode or a different key? Does it present material that contrasts in rhythm, texture, or tone color — or does it work its contrast by ringing changes on the original material, on A? The returns to A material in A B A′ form, too, can convey very different feelings. One return can sound exciting, another unexpected, while yet another provides a sense of relief.
So diagramming forms — getting the letters right — is just a first step in music appreciation. We need also to understand the way composers refine, modify, and personalize conventional forms for their own expressive purposes.
