Binary/Ternary Form

 

Lesson 28

January 22nd, 2022

Lesson 28

Lecture notes:
  • The binary form is one of the most common forms used in music. It consists of two sections that are usually repeated.
  • There are five types of binary forms, including simple binary, continuous binary, sectional binary, rounded binary, and composite binary.
  • A quick way to tell if a song is in binary form is to look for repeat signs. A visual example of these symbols would be ||: :|| ||: :||
  • The simple binary form is when the second half or B section ends without returning to the beginning section of A. A visual example would be ||: A :|||: B :||.
  • The sectional binary form is when the first section (A) of a song ends with a cadence (PAC) on the tonic of the primary key. This section can stand on its own due to being tonally complete.
  • The continuous binary form is when the first section (A) ends with a cadence (HC) that is not on the tonic of the primary key.
  • The rounded binary form is when the initial or opening melody from the first phrase reoccurs at the song's end. A visual example of this would be ||: A :|||: B A (or A') :||. The A' (also known as A prime) indicates that the ending phrase was slightly altered from the original opening entry phrase.
  • The composite binary form is mostly found in marches and ragtime. Typically, this form is represented by an A, B, C, and D section in marches. These multiple sections are also sometimes called strains. A visual example of this would be ||: a  b :|||: c  c' :|| d  d' ||: e  d  d' :||. 
  • The ternary form is another common form in music consisting of four distinct sections. Namely, simple ternary, sectional ternary, continuos ternary, and composite ternary.
  • The simple ternary form usually looks like (A B A or A B A') most often begins and ends on the tonic with a conclusive cadence.
  • A visual example of the sectional ternary form would be ||: a  a' :|||: b  b' :|||: a  a' :||. You can see that each section can stand alone, making each section sectional as indicated with the prime on the second letter in each section. Each section ends with its respective (PAC).
  • A visual example of the continuous ternary form would be ||: a  a' :|||: b  b :|||: a  a' :||. You can see in the B section that the second b doesn't have a prime on it, indicating that it can not stand on its own and ends on an (HC).
  • The composite ternary form combines two binary forms to create a large ternary design. The types of music where you can usually find this form are minuets, trio movements in sonatas, string quartets, and other multi-movement works. A visual example of this would be ||: A     :|||: B  A' :|||: C     :|||: D  C' :|| repeat of minuet ||.

The photo above shows a simple binary form consisting of an A and B part. Photo Credit: (https://slideplayer.com/slide/3854647/)


The photo above explains how binary form works and provides a short excerpt to give a visual example of the binary form. Photo Credit: (https://olivia-brand.jimdofree.com/music-theory/unit-8/)


The video above explains what binary form is and the different types of binary. The presenter also briefly describes how to compose in binary form. The presenter used slides for his presentation, and when he was teaching the composing part, he used a piano to provide an audible aid to help illustrate the song he used called A Gentle Breeze. Video Credit: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU18IBztiqA)


The video above explains what binary and ternary forms are and uses a piano to audibly illustrate the phrases used to make up the sections for both the binary and ternary forms. Video Credit: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8j8bYeo3Wk)


The photo above is a picture of the music for 'The Girl From Ipanema.' I will be playing this song for you. This song has a form of AABA' making it a continuous ternary form.


The video above is me playing the song from the photo above the video.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Diatonic Sequences

Image
   Lesson 23 October 19th, 2021 Lesson 23 Lecture notes: A sequence is made when a musical idea is expressed , then repeated one or more times . Each repetition of the original idea is transposed up or down from the previous iteration by a consistent interval . A basic musical idea usually comes in either  half , full , or t wo measures . This is what ultimately becomes the sequence pattern when expressed in successive repetition . There are two main types of sequences in music which include the ascending sequences and the descending sequences . The ascending sequences include the ascending-fifth sequence and the parallel 6/3 chords sequence . The descending sequences include the descending-fifth sequence , the Pachelbel sequence , and the descending parallel 6/3 chords sequence . The various sequences follow a specific chord progression pattern . For example, the descending-fifth sequence progression would be I - IV - viio - iii - vi - ii - V - I . The Pachelbel
Read more

Dominant Sevenths

Image
  Lesson 17 March 22nd, 2021 Lesson 17 Lecture notes: The dominant seventh chord contains two tendency notes , including the leading tone and the chordal seventh . In a dominant seventh chord , the third degree of that chord is the leading tone for the tonic chord, which would resolve up to the tonic note ( 7 - 1 ). In a dominant seventh chord , the seventh degree , also known as the chordal seventh , is the tonic chord's fourth degree. This note would resolve down to the third degree of the tonic chord ( 4 - 3 ). The two predominant chords that lead to the dominant chord are the minor second and the perfect fourth . The basic phrase model would look like ( T - PD - D - T ) whenever used. Parallel fifths are easy to occur. An excellent way to avoid this is by omitting a note in either the dominant seventh chord or the tonic chord. The note that can be left out of either chord is the fifth-degree note .  Root position ( 7 ) and second inversion ( 4/3 ) dominant seve
Read more

Variations

Image
  Lesson 30 February 4th, 2022 Lesson 30 Lecture notes: There are multiple types of variations , inclusive of the continuous variation , sectional variation , figural variation , chromatic variation , textural variation , and timbral variation . The continuous variation is the continuous flow of a musical idea and a Fortspinnung phrase structure. This variation type was widely used in the Baroque era of music. Fortspinnung is the development process of a specific musical motif . First, the motif in question is developed into a complete musical using sequences , intervallic changes , and simple repetitions . There are two different types of continuous variations . Ground bass or passacaglia and chaconne . The ground bass / passacaglia  is when there is a repeating bass line , and only the upper voices change or vary . In the chaconne , the harmonic progression is repeated and varied while the bass remains the same for several successive variations , but it e
Read more