MUS 101 Lecture Notes - Ternary Form, Strophic Form, Ostinato
29 Apr 2023
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Form is the element of music that refers to a work"s structure of shape. In a strophic form, the same melody is repeated with each stanza of the text. In a through-composed form, no main section of the music or text is repeated. Variation is when some aspects of the music are altered but the original is recognizable. Improvisation is when pieces are created spontaneously in performance. Binary form is based on a statement and a departure, without a return to the opening section. Ternary form is based on a statement and a departure, with a return to the opening section. When a melodic idea is used as a building block in the construction of a larger work, we call it a theme. Thematic development is the expansion of a theme achieved by varying its melody, rhythm, or harmony. Motive is a small fragment within a theme that forms a melodic-rhythmic unit.
