Small Ternary Form

Three part theme:

  • Exposition (A)

  • Contrasting middle (B)

  • Recapitulation (A')

  • Formal Functions


Exposition

  • Antecedent Phrase

    • Basic idea

    • Contrasting idea

    • Weak cadence

  • Consequent Phrase

    • Repetition of basic idea

    • Contrasting idea

    • Ends on a strong cadence


Key Areas

  • Home key- The key you start and end with

  • Tonic- The tonal center for the current key

  • Multiple “tonics” within a single phrase


Home key and Tonic

  • C major

    • Home key= C Major

    • Tonic= C Major

  • True Modulation to G major

    • Tonic= G major


Key Areas

  • Home key

  • Subordinate Keys

  • Development keys


Contrasting Middle

More loose in construction

Contrasting idea has no cadence

Basic idea → Contrasting idea


Recapitulation

  • brings back antecedent phrase with changes

  • Basic idea → Contrasting idea

  • Strong cadence used at the end of contrasting idea


Creating Contrast

  • Harmony- Major/ Minor contrast

  • Melodic - motivic material: Small change or new melodic ideas

    • Transposing melody- Strating on new chord tone

  • Rhythm- Create new rhythm; creates contrast

    • Displace by half a beat- Syncopation

  • dynamics- Loud, soft, crescendos, decrescendos

  • Articulation- Staccato vs legato

    • Can make difference between effective melody/ accompaniment vs ineffective

    • Can cahnge the feel

  • Density- Thin vs thick / light vs heavy

  • range- Small spread vs wide spread

    • Wide spread can cause thin feel- small=heavier

    • Low brass range= heavy/ high brass range= thin

  • Tempo- Slow vs fast


Contrasting middle and Recapitulation

Contrasting middle

  • Contrasts mostly by harmonic means

  • Focauses on dominant of the home key

    • Modulation

    • Standing on the dominant

Subordinate key

  • A closely related tonal region confirmed by a perfect authentic cadence as the principle contrasting key to the home key

    • Major mode movements- Dominant

    • Minor mode movements- Mediant


Standing on the Dominant

  • Post cadential function, following a half cadence at the end of a small ternary exposition, to initiate a contrasting middle

  • Consists of one or more ideas supported exclusively by a dominant prolongation progression

  • Prolongs the dominant


Loose Form

  • Contrasting Middle- Looser construction

  • Exposition- Tight-knit construction


Tight-knit

  • Formal organization characterized by:

    • Conventional theme types

    • Harmonic-Tonal stability

    • Symmetrical grouping structures

    • Form functional efficiency

    • Unity of melodic-motivic material


Loose

  • Formal organization characterized by

    • non-coventinal thematic structures

    • harmonic-tonal instability (Modulation, chromaticism)

    • Asymmetrical grouping structures

    • Phrase- Structural extension and expansion

    • Form-Functional redundancy

    • Diversity of melodic - motivic material


Loosening Techniques

  • Chromatic harmony

  • Asymmetrical grouping structures

  • Redundant formal units


Recapitulation

  • Final part of small ternary form

  • Concluding function

  • Return of the exposition

  • Two goals:

    • Bring back material from the exposition

    • Confirm the home key with a PAC

  • Constasting middle is always looser than the exposition

  • Recapitulation may be a complete restatement

    • May be shortened

    • May be expanded