Vocal forms
The simplest vocal forms are hymns, folk songs, and traditional songs. They are usually eight to sixteen bars long and use the same music for all verses of text. This is known as strophic, having mulitple lines of text set to the same music.
Part II - Popular song
This is a rather wide categorization that includes jazz, show tunes, rock, country, etc. They are usually ternary or binary form with eight-bar phrases. with verse, chorus, verse structure.
They often take this form:
Intro (verse) ||:(refrain) Chorus:||
Repeated phrases 32-bar song form
V---------------------------------------I---------------HC AABA coda
Part III - Art song
Art song refers to solo vocal pieces in which existing poetry is set to music. The art song flourished in the nineteenth century with German lieder and French melodie. The analysis of art song must include the lyrics to fully understand the formal structure.
Part IV - Da Capo Aria, Ritornello, and Rondo forms
An aria (Italian for 'tune') is a song for solo voice with instrumental accompaniment. Most arias are found in operas, oratorios, and cantatas.
Part V - Choral music
Hymns and chorales
The most straightforward works written in parts for multiple voices. The textures are usually homophonic and often homorhythmic. other textural possibilities include:
- homophonic
- unison texture- where all of the voices sing the melody in unison
- Call and response- where one voice states a musical idea and the other voices respond
- melody and descant- in which a descant or countermelody is sung against the other voices.
- countrapuntal textures- where two or more voices are presented in counterpoint.
- antiphonal techniques- in which two choruses alternate
