Listen for Form Analyses Theory Things William Wieland
Common Forms
  1. Kelley and Higley Home on the Range (Pete Seeger) — Lots!
    • Strophic
    • Each Stanza — Verse / Refrain
    • Each Stanza — a a' b a' or 32-bar Song Form
    • Each Verse — a a' — parallel period (Phrase a ends inconclusively—a question—while a' ends on tonic—an answer.)
    • Each Refrain — b a' — contrasting period

  2. Anderson Sleigh Ride (John Williams & The Boston Pops) — A B A' C A'' B A — Rondo Form (with an intro, transitions, and a coda)
    B features clip clops. A' adds trumpets. C repeats a pitch and crescendos to a whip crack. After a transition, A'' is jazzier.
     
  3. Bach Menuet BWV Anh 116 (Ton Koopman, harpsichord) — ||: A :||: B   ½ A :|| — Rounded Binary Form
     
  4. Mel Tormé and Bob Wells The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole) — a a' b a' — 32-bar Song Form (followed by b a')
     
  5. Beethoven Für Elise (Alfred Brendel) — A B A' C A' — Rondo Form
    The first  A  is  ||: a :||: b   a :||.   A'  is simply  a b a.   In other words, both A and A' are ternary forms.
     
  6. Clementi Sonatina Op. 36, No. 2 (Cory Hall)
    I. Allegretto — Sonata Form
    II. Allegretto — Ternary Form (with a tiny coda)
    III. Allegro — Ternary Form
     
  7. Bach Minuet II from the Cello Suite No. 1 (Federico Puppi) — ||: A :||: B :|| — Binary Form
    This was tricky because the B section was twice as long as the A section.
NOTE — Repeat signs may lead to confusion.
  • For example, we may hear A - A - B - A - B - A, but it is easy to see ||: A :||: B   A :|| as ternary form.
  • Likewise, sonata form may be heard as Exposition – Exposition – Development – Recapitulation – Development – Recapitulation,
    but the score looks like this: ||: Exposition :||: Development Recapitulation :||