How music is built from sections

In the picture

1. 1Contrasting section: in two-part binary form AB, a new section follows the first
2. 2Returning section: in ternary form ABA, the opening music comes back at the end
3. 3Episode between returns: in a rondo, the main theme comes back between contrasting sections
4. 4Piano: an instrument that can play a theme, then vary or develop it

Examples

• A minuet and trio in a symphony returns to the minuet, giving an ABA shape.
• A pop song that returns to its chorus after each verse works a bit like a rondo.

Quiz: How music is built from sections (Age 16)

1. 1

   What does the term 'musical form' describe?

   • Which instruments play and how they are combined
   • The order and relationship of a piece’s sections
   • The speed and loudness of the piece
2. 2

   What happens in a piece in ternary (ABA) form?

   • The opening theme is changed a little each time it comes back
   • After a contrasting section, the opening music returns at the end
   • A second section follows the first and the piece ends there
3. 3

   What is typical of a rondo?

   • A theme is varied every time it appears
   • It has only two sections, A and then B
   • The main theme keeps returning between contrasting sections

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This quiz is free there while the lesson is in the free week.