1. How to Understand Music
Form and Notation
How to Understand Music

2. First, Form

3. Song Forms AB - strophic form/binary form
ABA – sonata form/ternary form
AABA – 32-bar song form
ABACADA – rondo form
BLUES FORM –
Phrase 1 I I I I
Phrase 2 IV IV IV IV
Phrase V IV I I

4. Binary Form or Strophic Form (Do I have to call it that?)
Binary form is otherwise known as AB form. A song in AB form will have a verse and chorus.
Example: Jingle Bells
Is there anyone who doesn’t know that holiday song?

5. Binary Form (cont.)
Part A: Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open
sleigh.
O’er the fields we go, laughing all the way.
Bells on bobtail ring, making spirits bright.
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song
tonight.
Part B: Jingle Bells, jingle bells. Jingle all the way.
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open
sleigh. Hey!
Repeat A and B in order as many times as possible!

6. Sonata Form or Ternary Form
A B A
EXPOSITION DEVELOPMENT RECAPITULATION
1st Theme Development of All Themes from A or more themes from “A”
(1st-tonic) (Dominant Key) (Tonic)
2nd Theme
(2nd-dominant
Closing Theme
 (Closing-dominant)

7. Have you heard of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony?
Let’s listen to the first movement.
Notice how the motive of da-da-da-da repeats throughout the piece.
Also, listen as I point out the “A” section and the “B” section and how the “A” section comes back at the end in a not so subtle way. Let’s look at the diagram on the next page to identify the parts.

8. Sonata Form or Ternary Form
A B A
EXPOSITION DEVELOPMENT RECAPITULATION
1st Theme Development of All Themes from A
or more themes from “A”
(1st-tonic) (Dominant Key) (Tonic)
2nd Theme
(2nd-dominant
Closing Theme
 (Closing-dominant)

9. ABA Song Example: Twinkle, twinkle little star
A: Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
B: Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
The standard ABA form (ternary or sonata form) popular song is divided into 8 (A)/8 (A)/8 (B)/8 (A) or 32 bars of music.

10. What song can you name that is in AABA song form?
An art piece would be something most of you have heard, a piece called Fur Elise (For Elise, his student) by Beethoven.
Your turn!

11. Rondo, or ABACA, Form
Rondo form involves starting with the A section, having the A section in the middle, and ending with the A section.
Examples: ABACA
ABACADA
ABACADAEA
Listening example: Turkish Rondo by Mozart

12. Blues Form
This form is the basis of most real blues songs and most early rock and roll songs.
Example: Hound Dog by Lieber and Stoller
(famously sung by Elvis Presley)
(Big Mama Thornton)
Phrase 1 I I I I
Phrase 2 IV IV IV IV
Phrase V IV I I

13. One last form: Through-composed
A through-composed song fits NO standard form. Example: The Star-Spangled Banner. It’s form is as follows:
A A B C
THE END

14. The Concerto and the Symphony
QUESTION: Do I really have to know this?
ANSWER: YES

15. What is a Concerto? Concerto = concert = together
Concerto grosso - Piece in 3 contrasted movements with a small body (group) of instruments heard in alternate and together with the larger orchestra.
Large group: Ripieno or tutti (meaning
full in Italian)
Small group: Concertino (meaning small
in Italiano)

16. What is a Concerto? (cont.)
This form originated during the baroque period.
Composers wrote for whatever instruments were available to the group.
Into the classical age, the concertino (small group) got smaller to the point where they became more soloists with orchestral accompaniment.
a) Soloists became the flash or sizzle of the piece.
b) “Violinistic”refers to the flashiness.

17. What is a Symphony?
Symphony = from the Greek meaning sounding together.
A symphony is now a SONATA FOR ORCHESTRA.
The 18th c. operatic overture was the original version consisted and consisted of 3 movements (quick-slow-quick). It developed into a 4 movement work during the classical period.

18. The Parts of a Symphony Movement 1: Sonata Form (usually the most
important movement)
Movement 2: Slower and more lyrical
Movement 3: Minuet and Trio, or Scherzo
Movement 4: Usually Rondo Form
(ABACA) or
Sonata Form (ABA) ( a longer
piece of music)

19. Let’s watch an orchestra play a symphony.

20. THE END

21. WHAT IS NOTATION?

22. The Treble Staff .
First, the treble staff:

23. The Bass Staff
Second, the bass staff:

24. And now, the Grand Staff!
The following figure shows a generous range of notes on the grand staff and how they relate to the keyboard.

25. The Music Keyboard

26. And, how about them notes and rests?
Let’s go to a website to help us.

27. What the heck is a scale and why is it so important?

28. First we have to define “accidental”.

29. What is an accidental?
A sharp raises a scale tone 1/2 step. The sign is
placed before the note.
A flat lowers a scale tone 1/2 step. The sign is
A natural indicates that the tone should not be
sharpped or flatted for one measure only. .

30. Now we can construct the diatonic major and minor scales.
A major or minor scale must use all 7 letters of the alphabet. None can be repeated.
  C Major: C D E F G A B C
No sharps or flats 
A minor: A B C D E F G A
No sharps or flats.
Why are the above scales like this?

31. The Music Keyboard, again:

32. Steps to constructing the scales. It’s patterns, kid!
A major (M) or minor (m) diatonic scale consists of 2 types of tones:
1. Whole tone (w) or 2 half steps
2. Half tone or semitone (h): the distance from one note to the note next to it on a music keyboard.
Example: E to F, F# to G, G to Ab

33. Let’s compare scale phone numbers!
The major scale telephone number is:
2 2 1 – or w w h – w w w h
The minor scale telephone number is:
2 1 2 – or w h w = w h w w
2 = 2 half steps or 1 whole step
1 = 1 half step

34. Examples of Scales Major scale examples:
F G A Bb C D E F called F Major
G A B C D E F# G called G Major
Minor scale examples:
A B C D E F G A
G A Bb C D Eb F G

35. Sometimes the scales have relatives!
A relative minor starts on the 6th tone of its relative major scale and shares all the same notes including sharps or flats (just like you might look like your relatives).
A parallel minor starts on the 1 tone of a major scale and DOES NOT share the same notes (This one is adopted!).

36. THE END