Song structureSong structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common piece-level musical forms for vocal music include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, and the 12-bar blues.
Verse–chorus formVerse–chorus form is a musical form going back to the 1840s, in such songs as "Oh! Susanna" and "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze". It became passé in the early 1900s, with advent of the AABA (with verse) form in the Tin Pan Alley days.
StropheA strophe () is a poetic term originally referring to the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy, followed by the antistrophe and epode. The term has been extended to also mean a structural division of a poem containing stanzas of varying line length. Strophic poetry is to be contrasted with poems composed line-by-line non-stanzaically, such as Greek epic poems or English blank verse, to which the term stichic applies.
Section (music)In music, a section is a complete, but not independent, musical idea. Types of sections include the introduction or intro, exposition, development, recapitulation, verse, chorus or refrain, conclusion, coda or outro, fadeout, bridge or . In sectional forms such as binary, the larger unit (form) is built from various smaller clear-cut units (sections) in combination, analogous to stanzas in poetry or somewhat like stacking Lego.
RefrainA refrain (from Vulgar Latin: refringere, "to repeat", through Old French: refraindre) is the line or lines that are repeated in poetry or in music—the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the villanelle, the virelay, and the sestina. In popular music, the refrain or chorus may contrast with the versemelodically, rhythmically, and harmonically; it may assume a higher level of dynamics and activity, often with added instrumentation.
StanzaIn poetry, a stanza (; from Italianstanza, Italian:; lit.'room') is a group of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line or indentation. Stanzas can have regular rhyme and metrical schemes, but they are not required to have either. There are many different . Some stanzaic forms are simple, such as four-line quatrains. Other forms are more complex, such as the Spenserian stanza.
Binary formBinary form is a musical form in 2 related sections, both of which are usually repeated. Binary is also a structure used to choreograph dance. In music this is usually performed as A-A-B-B. Binary form was popular during the Baroque period, often used to structure movements of keyboardsonatas. It was also used for short, one-movement works.Musical formIn music, form refers to the structure of a musical composition or performance.Ternary formTernary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form consisting of an opening section (A), a following section (B) and then a repetition of the first section (A). It is usually schematized as A–B–A. Prominent examples include the da capo aria "The trumpet shall sound" from Handel's Messiah, Chopin's Prelude in D♭ Major "Raindrop", (Op. 28) and the opening chorus of Bach's St John Passion.
MusicMusic is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all human societies. Definitions of music vary widely in substance and approach. While scholars agree that music is defined by a small number of specific elements, there is no consensus as to what these necessary elements are.Through-composed musicIn the theory of musical form, through-composed music is a continuous, non-sectional, and non-repetitive piece of music. The term is typically used to describe songs, but can also apply to instrumental music. While most musical forms such as ternary form (ABA), rondo form (ABACABA), and sonata form (ABA') rely on repetition, through-composed music does not re-use material (ABCD).
Variation (music)Schubert's Impromptu in B-flat (D 935) No. 3; theme and variations based on a theme from Schubert's RosamundeProblems playing this file? See .In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these. Variation is often contrasted with musical development, which is a slightly different means to the same end.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.