Binary form
PreviousMenuNext
Main Period: Baroque

Composers


Bach


Handel


Schumann


Mendelssohn
Binary forms
Forms consisting of two parts: an opening section and a closing one. The period (musical thought) is divided into two short parts. The first one allegedly asks a question (a dominant chord providing a sense of tension) and the second part gives an answer (a tonic chord reliving the tension).
The binary form often uses two longer parts. Again, the first section opens in the Tonic key and generally modulates to a closely related key, while the second section returns to the original key.
Most baroque suite movements, by Handel and Bach, were written as binary forms, among which are the dances allemande, sarabandeSarabande from Orchestral Suite No.2 in Bm, BWV.1067 - J.S. Bach, gavotte and bourreeBourrée from Orchestral Suite No.2 in Bm, BWV.1067 - J.S. Bach. In later ages, simple binary structure continued to be used, especially for variations. In the romantic era, composers wrote in more sophistocated forms, but even Schumann and Mendelssohn wrote short binary pieces for piano.

Example of binary form
Play...
Sarabande




Short binary musical sentence
Play...
Part 1
ending with tension
Play...
Part 2þ
reliving the tension


Xtend

Examples to listen to...
Listen

<