AB or ABA

Two common forms of pieces are AB and ABA or Binary and Ternary.

Minuet

A minuet is a slow, stately pattern dance in 3/4 time for groups of couples, originating in 17th-century France. It is also a movement in 3/4 time that is usually the third, but sometimes the second, of a four-movement symphony or string quartet.

Prelude

A prelude is an introductory or preliminary performance or event; a preface. It also is the title for a short piece of music that acts as an introduction to a longer piece. It is usually made up of similar patterns throughout. Although this prelude was written for keyboard, this video shows that a prelude can also be played on a guitar. Preludes were especially popular during the Baroque period and preceded many of JS Bach’s fugues.

Fugue

A Fugue is a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.

Two-Part Invention

A two-part Invention is a short composition (usually for a keyboard instrument) with two-part counterpoint or melodies. Both hands are equal in importance.

Opera

An Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers, but is distinct from musical theater because there is little talking, mostly singing. Singers sing in two styles: recitative, a talk-like singing, and arias or songs.

Concerto

A Concerto is a musical composition for a solo instrument or instruments accompanied by an orchestra, especially one conceived on a relatively large scale. FYI, concertos are NOT normally written for an old typewriter!

Symphony

A symphony is an elaborate musical composition for full orchestra, typically in four movements, at least one of which is traditionally in sonata form. Beethoven’s 5th Symphony is one of the most famous symphonies of all time. And yes, he was known to wear a wig or peruke as they were fashionable during his lifetime because people would shave their heads due to lice.

String Quartet

A string quartet is a chamber music ensemble consisting of first and second violins, viola, and cello. This is one of the most famous string quartets of all time composed by Mozart.

Sonata-allegro

Sonata form (also sonata-allegro form or first movement form) is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the eighteenth century (the early classical period). It normally includes three sections:

Exposition = themes are introduced in the tonic but moves to the dominant.
Development = themes are developed away from the home tone or tonic.
Recapitulation = theme returns and brings the piece back to the home tone.

Waltz

A Waltz is a ballroom dance in ³/₄ time with a strong accent on the first beat and a basic pattern of step-step-close. Chopin composed many waltzes for the piano. Below is a couple dancing to is his Waltz in A minor.

Art Song

An art song or lieder is a vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical music tradition infused with strong moods and colorful character.

Ballet

Ballet is an artistic dance form performed to music using precise and highly formalized set steps and gestures. Classical ballet, which originated in Renaissance Italy and established its present form during the 19th century, is characterized by light, graceful, fluid movements and the use of pointe shoes.

Etude

An Etude is a short musical composition, typically for one instrument, designed as an exercise to improve the technique or demonstrate the skill of the player

Program Music

Program music is instrumental music that carries some extramusical meaning, some “program” of literary idea, legend, scenic description, or personal drama. The narrator highly prefers program music!

Here’s an example of program music. Can you hear the bee buzzing?

Tone Poem

A Tone Poem is a piece of orchestral music, typically in one movement, featuring a descriptive or rhapsodic theme. Here is a tone poem transcribed for two pianists at one piano.