Strophic form
Encyclopedia
Strophic form is the simplest and most durable of musical form
s, elaborating a piece of music
by repetition of a single formal section
. This may be analyzed as "A A A...". This additive method is the musical analogue of repeated stanzas in poetry or lyrics and, in fact, where the text repeats the same rhyme scheme from one stanza
to the next the song's structure
also often uses either the same or very similar material from one stanza to the next.
A modified strophic form varies the pattern in some stanzas (A A' A"...) somewhat like a rudimentary Theme and variations. Contrasting verse-chorus form is a binary form
that alternates between two sections of music (ABAB) although this may too be interpreted as constituting a larger strophic verse-refrain
form.
Many folk
and popular
songs are strophic in form, including the twelve bar blues
, ballads, hymns and chants. Many classical songs are also in strophic form, from the 17th century French air de cour
to 19th century German lieder.
Musical form
The term musical form refers to the overall structure or plan of a piece of music, and it describes the layout of a composition as divided into sections...
s, elaborating a piece of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
by repetition of a single formal section
Section (music)
In music, a section is "a complete, but not independent musical idea". Types of sections include the introduction or intro, exposition, recapitulation, verse, chorus or refrain, conclusion, coda or outro, fadeout, bridge or interlude...
. This may be analyzed as "A A A...". This additive method is the musical analogue of repeated stanzas in poetry or lyrics and, in fact, where the text repeats the same rhyme scheme from one stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
to the next the song's structure
Song structure (popular music)
The structures or musical forms of songs in popular music are typically sectional, repeating forms, such as strophic form. Other common forms include thirty-two-bar form, verse-chorus form, and the twelve bar blues...
also often uses either the same or very similar material from one stanza to the next.
A modified strophic form varies the pattern in some stanzas (A A' A"...) somewhat like a rudimentary Theme and variations. Contrasting verse-chorus form is a binary form
Binary form
Binary form is a musical form in two related sections, both of which are usually repeated. Binary is also a structure used to choreograph dance....
that alternates between two sections of music (ABAB) although this may too be interpreted as constituting a larger strophic verse-refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
form.
Many folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and popular
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
songs are strophic in form, including the twelve bar blues
Twelve bar blues
The 12-bar blues is one of the most popular chord progressions in popular music, including the blues. The blues progression has a distinctive form in lyrics and phrase and chord structure and duration...
, ballads, hymns and chants. Many classical songs are also in strophic form, from the 17th century French air de cour
Air de cour
The Air de cour was a popular type of secular vocal music in France in the very late Renaissance and early Baroque period, from about 1570 until around 1650...
to 19th century German lieder.
See also
- Through-composedThrough-composedThrough-composed music is relatively continuous, non-sectional, and/or non-repetitive. A song is said to be through-composed if it has different music for each stanza of the lyrics. This is in contrast to strophic form, in which each stanza is set to the same music...
- StropheStropheA strophe forms the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy, followed by the antistrophe and epode. In its original Greek setting, "strophe, antistrophe and epode were a kind of stanza framed only for the music," as John Milton wrote in the preface to Samson Agonistes, with the strophe...
and AntistropheAntistropheAntistrophe is the portion of an ode sung by the chorus in its returning movement from west to east, in response to the strophe, which was sung from east to west.It has the nature of a reply and balances the effect of the strophe...
in the lyricalLyric poetryLyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...
performances of the Greek chorusGreek chorusA Greek chorus is a homogenous, non-individualised group of performers in the plays of classical Greece, who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action....