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Simple Part Forms: Form in Tonal Music

The document discusses simple part forms in tonal music. It defines one-part form as a piece that cannot be divided into parts based on its design or tonal structure. Binary form is defined as having two parts that can be similar or different, and can be continuous or sectional. Ternary form has three parts with a statement-contrast-restatement design that can also be continuous, sectional, or fully sectional. The difference between rounded binary and ternary forms is based on the amount of contrast between the A and B sections.

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98 views1 page

Simple Part Forms: Form in Tonal Music

The document discusses simple part forms in tonal music. It defines one-part form as a piece that cannot be divided into parts based on its design or tonal structure. Binary form is defined as having two parts that can be similar or different, and can be continuous or sectional. Ternary form has three parts with a statement-contrast-restatement design that can also be continuous, sectional, or fully sectional. The difference between rounded binary and ternary forms is based on the amount of contrast between the A and B sections.

Uploaded by

Eunice ng
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SUMMARY ON

Simple Part Forms


from Form in Tonal Music by Douglass Green
(revised by James Yap)

Form: refers to both the design of a piece and its tonal structure.
Design: the organization of melody, rhythm, cadences, timbre, texture, and tempo.
Tonal structure: the harmonic organization of a piece.

One-part form: a piece that cannot be divided into parts is by design (no divisive aspect through strongly
conclusive cadences or striking contrasts) or by tonal structure (the piece must consist of a single
harmonic movement) is a one-part form. Examples: J. S. Bach, WTC, Vol. 1 Preludes 1 and 2.

Open part: a part of a composition that is harmonically incomplete. Such a part will not end with a
conclusive cadence in the key in which it began. Any form with an "open" 1st part is a continuous form.

Closed part: a part of a composition that contains within itself a complete harmonic movement. Such a
part will end with a conclusive cadence in the key in which it began. Any form with a "closed" 1st part
is a sectional form.

Binary form: a form in 2 parts. The 2 parts may be similar or entirely different in their length and internal
structures. Binary forms are either continuous or sectional.

Simple Binary: no return of thematic material (in the tonic) from part 1 when closing part 2 as in the
formal design of AB. In a AA' structure, where the part 2 (ie. A') is a varied
repetition of part 1 (ie. A), there is no deviation of thematic material and thus “no formal
return” of thematic material. Therefore, the form remains simple binary.

Balanced Binary: part 2 may close with a transposed restatement of a substantial portion of the bars
that ended part 1; that is, the ends of each part are identical or nearly identical (some variation is
possible) except for pitch level. So when part 1 ends on V of III and that part 2 ends on I – it
becomes a continuous balanced binary form. However, this form may be sectional though its
occurrence might be less frequent.

Rounded Binary: all or the beginning of part 1 returns toward the end of part 2 in the tonic.

Ternary form: a form in 3 parts. The chief characteristic of the design is statement-contrast-
restatement. Ternary forms are either continuous, sectional or full sectional.

Continuous Ternary: any ternary form with an "open" 1st part is continuous.

Sectional Ternary: any ternary form with a "closed" 1st part is a sectional.

Full Sectional Ternary: all 3 parts are harmonically closed. The 3rd part is typically exactly like or a
varied repetition of the 1st. If all 3 parts are harmonically closed, the middle need not be of a
contrasting character for the piece to be classified as full sectional ternary.

Rounded Binary vs. Ternary: the tonal structure and design of these 2 forms can be very similar. The
difference is based solely on the amount of contrast between parts A and B. In the rounded binary form, the
melodic and motivic material of B is clearly taken from A and the characters of the 2 sections are similar. In
the ternary form, B is made up of new material or contrasts strikingly in some other way with A.

Music Theory 1 & 2 ● Compiled for NAFA Music Students

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