Structure
Structure refers to the idea of design or form in music. In organising sound the concepts of duration, dynamics, pitch and tone colour are combined in some way for a particular purpose. Structure relates to the ways in which music sounds the same (or similar) and/or different.
Device |
Song |
Artist |
Time of Event |
Listen Now |
Album |
Publisher/Label |
Explicit Lyrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binary – AB, AAB, AABB, ABB etc…) | Blowin’ In The Wind |
Bob Dylan |
Verses follow AAAB (Binary) structure – overall the structure of the piece is strophic |
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan |
Columbia |
N |
|
Hey Jude |
The Beatles |
Many say this piece is in binary form due to the hymn-like song followed by an extended jam on a simple chord progression |
Released as a single |
Apple |
N |
||
Prelude In C Minor |
J. S. Bach |
In AABB form. Parts A and B are similar in rhythm and texture, but differ in key. |
From the Well Tempered Clavier |
N |
|||
Suite No.3 in D Major (2nd Movt) |
J. S. Bach |
In AABB form. The B section is twice as long as the A section. Very easily recognisable. |
N |
||||
Suite No.3 in D Major (4th Movt) |
J. S. Bach |
A lively dance in AABB form. Just over a minute in length! |
N |
||||
| Ternary (ABA) | Yesterday | The Beatles |
Help! |
Apple |
N |
||
Dance Of The Reed Pipes |
Tchaikovsky |
A – 3 flutes playing a staccato melody, B – Trumpet melody with brasses and cymbals, A – Shortened version of first section |
From the Nutcracker Suite |
N |
|||
The Typewriter |
Leroy Anderson |
Unknown |
Unknown |
N |
|||
| AABA (32 Bar Form) | Somewhere Over The Rainbow |
The Wizard of Oz |
A coda is added at the end |
N |
|||
Great Balls of Fire |
Jerry Lee Lewis |
Released as a single |
Sun Records |
N |
|||
Surfer Girl |
The Beach Boys |
Surfer Girl |
Capitol |
N |
|||
Something |
The Beatles |
Abbey Road |
Apple |
N |
|||
Blue Moon |
The Marcels (Rodgers/Hart) |
Blue Moon |
Colpix |
N |
|||
Save the Last Dance for Me |
The Drifters (Pomus/Shuman) |
Released as a single |
Atlantic |
N |
|||
Just the Way You Are |
Billy Joel |
The Stranger |
Columbia |
N |
|||
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” |
The Shirelles |
Tonight’s The Night |
Scepter |
N |
|||
So What |
Miles Davis |
|
Kind of Blue |
Columbia |
N |
||
Monday Monday |
The Mamas and The Papas |
|
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears |
Dunhill |
N |
||
| Canon | Goldmines |
Josh Pyke |
A canon that is modified a fair bit to fit the chordal structure. You would more likely say that this piece has ‘canonic’ features. |
Feeding the Wolves (EP) |
Ivy League Records |
N |
|
| Fugue | Organ Fugue in G Minor (‘Little’ Fugue) |
J. S. Bach |
The subject is presented in each of the four voices in turn. Excellent example of a fugue – enjoy the video! |
N |
|||
| Ground Bass | Lamento Della Ninfo |
Monteverdi |
A four note descending pattern is performed by the accompaniment to create a ground bass |
N |
|||
| Imitation | The Musical Offering |
Bach |
The melody is presented firstly in the flute, then violin, harpsichord and cello |
N |
|||
| Minuet and Trio (actually in ABA Form) | Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (3rd Movt) |
Mozart |
A standard minuet and trio |
N |
|||
| Ostinato | On Call |
Kings of Leon |
Bass guitar plays repeated pattern throughout |
Because Of The Times |
Columbia |
N |
|
Hollaback Girl (Clean Version) |
Gwen Stefani |
Throughout. No melodic content in verses, very little in choruses |
Love. Angel. Music. Baby. |
Interscope |
N (Clean Version) |
||
Drop It Like It’s Hot (Clean Version) |
Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell |
Throughout. Ostinatos galore! Percussion, vocal noises, melodic material etc. |
R&G (Rhtyhm and Gangsta): The Masterpiece |
Doggy Style / Star Trak / Geffen |
No, but still questionable content (Clean Version) |
||
House Of The Rising Sun |
The Animals |
Guitar plays same rhythmic pattern throughout |
The Animals |
Columbia Graphophone |
N |
||
Bolero |
Ravel |
A snare drum rhythm is repeated throughout in a gradual crescendo |
N |
||||
Mars |
Holst |
A 5-beat repeated rhtyhmic pattern |
From ‘The Planets’ |
N |
|||
| Ritornello Form | Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D Major |
J. S. Bach |
The ritornello is heard for the first 8 bars – rapid semiquavers. Then, the solists present short melodic phrases. The ritornello returns in a shortened fragment, giving way again to the soloists. |
N |
|||
| Rondo Form | String Quartet In C Minor (4th Movt) |
Beethoven |
In ABACABA form. A – Lively dance (aabb) B – Lyrical, legato C – playful, quick upward rushes |
N |
|||
| Sonata Form | Symphony No. 40 in G Minor (4th Movt) |
Mozart |
A classic Sonata with clearly defined ‘Exposition’, ‘Development’ and ‘Recapitulation’ sections |
N |
|||
| Theme and Variations | Symphony No. 94 in G Major |
Haydn |
There are four variations in which the theme is changed in tone colour, dynamics, rhythm and melody. |
N |
|||
| Verse/Chorus Form | Poker Face |
Lady Gaga |
Simple Verse/Chorus form with a bridge |
The Fame |
Interscope / Kon live / Cherrytree / Streamline |
N |
|
I’ll Follow You Into The Dark |
Death Cab For Cutie |
Simple Verse/Chorus form with a bridge |
Plans |
Atlantic |
N |
||
Be My Baby |
The Ronettes (Spector, Barry, Greenwich) |
Simple Verse/Chorus form with a bridge |
Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes |
Philles Records |
N |
||
Penny Lane |
The Beatles |
Magical Mystery Tour |
Parlophone |
N |
|||
Smoke on the Water |
Deep Purple |
Machinehead |
EMI / Warner |
N |
|||
That’ll Be The Day |
Buddy Holly and The Crickets |
The Chirping Crickets |
Brunswick |
N |
|||
California Girls |
The Beach Boys |
Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) |
Capitol |
N |
|||
All You Need Is Love |
The Beatles |
Released as Single |
Parlophone |
N |
|||
Foxy Lady |
Jimi Hendrix |
Are You Experienced? |
Track Records |
N |
|||
Can’t Get Enough |
Bad Company |
Bad Company |
Swan Song / Island Records |
N |
|||
| Strophic Form | Blowin’ In The Wind |
Bob Dylan |
Verses follow AAAB (Binary) structure – overall the structure of the piece is strophic |
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan |
Columbia |
N |