Binary Form Cheat Sheet printable pdf download

music theory for musicians and normal people by toby w. rush

Binary Form

when we talk about the form of a piece,

we are referring to the large-scale layout

of the piece... specifically, the arrangement

of sections of music, how and when they

are repeated, and what keys are being used.

0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

A B

One of the simplest forms is

binary form, which consists of

two contrasting sections. we

refer to these two sections as

a and b.

the sections might be contrasting

in mood, tempo, key, or even in a

b i n a r y f o r m

combination of these characteristics.

0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0

A B

binary form is used in baroque dance

suites in a very specific way. In these

pieces, both sections are repeated.

the A section begins in the primary key

and modulates to the key of the

dominant, and the B section begins in

that key and modulates back to the

original key . performers of the time

would typically improvise ornamentation

when repeating each section.

b a r o q u e d a n c e f o r m

0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

baroque dance suites were written for varying instrumentation; many were written

for keyboard (usually harpsichord or clavichord), others were written for chamber

groups, and some were even written for full orchestra.

each movement of these suites would be written in the style of a particular baroque dance:

allemande, gavotte, bouree, courante, sarabande, louree, gigue, and others,

each of which had a specific character.

because baroque dance form is so common in baroque instrumental music, when

theorists and musicologists are talking about baroque music and say “binary form,”

they are actually referring to baroque dance form.

1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0

another somewhat rare variation of

binary form is rounded binary form,

where the A section returns after the

end of the b section. this reprise of

the a section, however, is shortened,

so we refer to it as “a prime.”

r o u n d e d b i n a r y f o r m

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Binary Form Cheat Sheet

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