(part 11 of 20)
Musical Form
Musical form, or structure, is the architecture of composition. It determines how musical elements in a composition are organized. Good form serves to maintain interest, cohesiveness, and purpose. That involves where and in what order melodies/phrases are introduced, when they are repeated, where ideas are varied, developed, etc. Musical form can be one of the most challenging aspects of composition to master. For this reason starting with very short compositions is highly recommended. Write many of them before gradually working your way up.
Maintaining high aesthetic standards becomes more difficult as a work grows in size. Generally, the longer the piece, the more complex its form. But even long pieces with simple forms can become very challenging to keep material fresh and coherent. As in all art, proportion is a core element of form. Much can be learned about balance and proportion by studying the work of Mozart (his D minor Piano Concerto is one of many fine examples).
Ultimately the goal of form in music is to maximize the aesthetic potential of a composition’s core material (melodies, harmonies, textures, etc). An example of effective form might be carefully building up to a specific melody, delivering it at just the right moment, grabbing the listener’s attention and enhancing its effect. If handled well, the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. If handled poorly, form can seriously detract from even the best material. Beethoven’s 5th Symphony is a remarkable example of the former. Carefully thinking through the psychology of how a piece will unfold to a first-time listener can help influence a work’s structure during the composition process.
Next
Index
- Introduction
- Why Piano?
- Improvisation:
- Notation:
- Related Skills/Knowledge:
- Composition: