MUS227: Music Theory III Dr.

Mark Jurcisin

Simple Form Analysis

Cadences

Cadences are points where the melodic and harmonic movement comes to a temporary or full stop.

There are three basic types of cadences: authentic, plagal, and half. Where the harmonic progression
V7 - I or V7 - i appears at a cadence point, this is called an authentic cadence.

When a cadence is reached via the harmonic progression IV - I or iv - i it is referred to as a plagal

cadence.

When the melodic and harmonic progress comes to a cadence (usually temporary) on the dominant
(V7) chord it is called a half cadence.

There are further differentiations of authentic and plagal cadences. When the melodic progress comes
to a (usually temporary) cadence at the tonic and the melodic pitch at this stop is not the tonic it is an
imperfect authentic or imperfect plagal cadence. Conversely, when the melodic pitch at a cadence comes
to a (usually full) stop on the tonic it is a perfect authentic or perfect plagal cadence.

b
& b bb
Spilman, Flow Gently Sweet Afton

imperfect plagal

b
IV I

& b bb
half cadence

IV 6 V

bbb
imperfect plagal perfect authentic

b
12

&
IV I V7 I

Simple forms

Note the four phrase marks in the example above. A singer or wind player could ostensibly take a breath
at each cadence point. This example is divided into four phrases, each four measures long. A phrase is the
smallest melodic form in music. Notice now how we can join the first two phrases into a longer gesture.
This two-phrase line is referred to as a period. This excerpt contains two periods, each starting off with an
initial phrase, also known as an antecedent, ending in an imperfect plagal cadence, followed by an second
phrase, a consequent, ending first in a half cadence then in a perfect authentic cadence. Generally, an
antecedent phrase ends on a temporary cadence while a consequent ends on a more definite cadence.

2008 Mark Jurcisin

Note also in the previous example how the antecedent and consequent in each of the periods are
essentially similar in rhythmic composition and overall contour. A period in which there is some
similarity between the antecedent and consequent are referred to as a parallel period. Often each
phrase in a parallel period begins identically.

If there is a substantial lack of similarity between the antecedent and consequent, the period is called
a contrasting period.

j j j
antecedent

b bb 6 j j

18

& 8J
half cadence

bbb j j j
consequent

j perfect authentic

23

&
cadence

There are times when successive phrases will each end on tonic tones; each a perfect cadence. As a
perfect cadence signals the end of a formal pattern, the two phrases cannot be combined into a larger
form. In this instance the two phrases do not combine to form a period; they are simply two successive
phrases.

Motives

Within a phrase there may be distinct melodic patterns called motives. They can be distinguished by a
pause in the melodic line or in its rhythm and also possibly by phrasing marks. Perhaps the most well-
known employment of motives in composition can be found at the opening of the first movement of the
Fifth Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven.

bb b 2 U
& 4

Beethoven then extends the phrase by repeating the motive:

b
& b b 42 j
initial use of the motive repetition of the motive

Beethoven then builds an entire theme based on the original motive:

from the beginning:

b
& b b 42


b
&bb
J
bb b
& # n

Binary and Ternary forms

Binary and ternary forms are formal structure of two or three parts, respectively. Although one may think
of, for example, a contrasting period as binary, the terms binary and ternary form imply characteristics
that differentiate them from the forms we previously studied. Each part in itself of a binary or ternary form
contains a smaller form, such as a period or phrase group. There is also a definite contrast between the
sections between the first and second parts (the third part in a ternary form usually returns to the material
presented in the first part. Additionally, in the common practice examples we are currently studying,
there is an additional relationship of keys; this aspect will be discussed in further depth at a later time.

This is an example of a binary form:

bb b b 2 j j j
j
1st Part: Parallel Period

& b 4 .

bbb j j
antecedent

b J n
temporary modulation to the dominant

& b
perfect authentic cadence
consequent

bb j
J .
2nd part: contrasting period

&bbb J
b j j
& b bbb
.
antecedent

.
perfect authentic cadence

consequent
In describing binary form we usually assign a capital letter to each part, so a piece in binary form
could be described as "A - B" form, where the "A" stands for the first period and the "B" stand for
the second. We can also assign lower-case letters to the parts of each period, so, the "A" section of
the above binary form example could be described as "a - a' " (note the apostrophe after the second
a - this signals the slight difference between the first and second phrases. These phrases do not
differ sufficiently to refer to them as contrasting), since the period of the first part is parallel. The
second part could be described as "a - b" since it is in contrasting period.

It is important to look beyond the simple "A - B" aspect of binary form down to the level of its parts.
There is an additional variant to binary form: if the period for the first part is, for example, a - a, and
second part is "b - a", where the "a" in the second part is similar to the first period in the first part, we
say that the form is rounded binary.

In ternary form, there is the "A - B" contrast from binary form, but the "A" section returns in a similar,
sometimes identical form. Thus ternary form can be described as "A - B - A" form. This three-part
structure of statement, contrast, and re-statement appears frequently in all types of music, from folk
songs to popular music to symphonic movements. It can also be noted that the third part, the re-
statement of the "A" part, can either be written out or noted as a "da capo" (D. C.) at the end of the
second part.