Song form
The simplest musical sentence form is called the song form . The term is derived from the folk song sung . It was coined in 1839 by Adolf Bernhard Marx .
The song form is not to be confused with the song , which can be made up of several stanzas and a refrain . Rather, it is a term from the musical theory of forms. In this respect, the use of the term is not limited to the song sung, but can also refer to instrumental music and strophic poems . For example, in many sonatas and symphonies the slow movements are composed in song form , and many poetic texts are called songs, even if there is no way of singing them.
A distinction is made between one, two and three-part song forms.
One-part (simple) song form
Only a single musical motif is performed before the melody returns to the tonic . The motif can consist of two or three parts that represent repetitions (possibly with a varied ending), or it can be of a different type (options for subdividing one part into two clauses are a - a, a - a 'and a - b ; for three parts of the sentence a - a - a, a - a - b, a - b - c etc.).
Two-part or two-movement song form
It consists of two clearly separated sections, of which the first often ends on the dominant , the second leads back to the tonic (options: A - A, A - A ', A - B). This form is the basis for most dances and marches .
Three-part or three-movement song form
The three-part song form has the sequence A - B - A, that is: beginning part - processing, contrasting middle part - repetition of the beginning part. The three-part song form can be found u. a. in the second movement of the piano sonata and in the symphony and sonata in the scherzo and minuet , often also in the slow movements. It is also typical for many folk and children's songs (e.g. all the birds are there , Santa Claus is coming tomorrow or do you know how many stars are there )
Subforms:
- Arch or bridge shape (A - B - A or A - B - A '; if necessary also with repetition: |: A: ||: B - A: |). In instrumental music e.g. B. the basis for the minuet with a trio as the middle section
- Bar shapeor cannon shape: especially in Minnesang and Meistersang a common shape with the parts Stollen - Stollen - Abgesang (A - A - B)
- Counterbar form : A - B - B
- Reprisenbarform or round crown : the tunnel is identical or repeated after the swan song (A - A - B - A; A - A '- B - A; A - A' - B - A "). This form is often found in in pop music and jazz and is therefore also called song form .
literature
- Hermann Grabner : General music theory. 24th edition. Bärenreiter, Kassel 2008, ISBN 978-3-7618-0061-4 , pp. 212-216.
- Clemens Kühn : Theory of Forms in Music. 8th edition. Bärenreiter, Kassel 2007, ISBN 3-7618-1392-9 , pp. 65–70.
- Ulrich Michels: dtv atlas on music. Volume 1. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich and Bärenreiter, Kassel / Basel / Tours / London 1977, ISBN 3-423-03022-4 , pp. 107-109.
- Wieland Ziegenrücker: ABC music. General music theory. 6th revised edition. Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden 2009, ISBN 978-3-7651-0309-4 , pp. 211-221.