37. Ternary and Rondo Forms

Ivette Herryman Rodriguez; Andre Mount; Jerod Sommerfeldt

37. Ternary and Rondo Forms

Ternary Form Diagram

Draw one diagram outlining a typical ternary form in a major key.

Completing Ternary Forms

Below, you will find the opening and closing sections of an ABA ternary form with empty staves in between. Fill in the empty staves by composing your own music for the B section. To ensure that the B section contrasts with the surrounding A sections, write it in a different key, meter, tempo, etc. and with different figurations. Barlines have been omitted from the empty staves so that you can pick the length of the B section. (Note: This excerpt is taken from an actual composition. Refrain from consulting the original score as you work, particularly since the source may be in a different form.)

source: Gertrude Ina Robinson, The Fairies Dream

Analysis (ternary form)

Listen to each of the ternary forms below while following along with the score then complete the table that follows. Each row of the following tables gives the starting and ending measures of a section of the piece. Give each section a letter label (e.g., A, A', B, C, etc.) based on the melodic and harmonic content found therein. In some cases it might be preferable to use labels like “introduction,” “transition,” or “coda.” Additionally, write the key for each section and indicate how that key relates to the home key. For example, in a piece in G major, a section in E minor would be labeled “vi (submediant/relative minor)” while a section in C major would be labeled “IV (subdominant).” Note that some sections may pass through several keys. In these cases, simply specify the most prominant key in the section or, if overall the section moves from one key to another, indicate the starting and ending keys (e.g., “D major to G major” and “V (dominant) to I (tonic)”). Finally, describe the way(s) in which the middle section of each ternary form contrasts with the surrounding A sections.

Robert Nathaniel Dett, Magnolia, 4. “Mammy”

measures	label	key	relation to home key
1-16	A	Db major	I (tonic)
17-34	B	Db major	I (tonic)
35-38	transition	Db major	I (tonic)
39-54	A	Db major	I (tonic)

In what way(s) does the middle B section in this ternary form contrast with the surrounding A sections?

no contrast in key; A sections have chords in left hand with triplet figures in right hand while B sections have more flowing eighth-rest-quarter-eighth figures with grace notes;

Fanny Roland, Piano Sonata in D major (Op. 1, No. 2), II. Adagio con expressione

measures	label	key	relation to home key
1-10	A	A major	I (tonic)
11-24	B	E major	V (dominant)
1-10 (da capo)	A	A major	I (tonic)

In what way(s) does the middle B section in this ternary form contrast with the surrounding A sections?

B section is in the dominant key; A sections have slow-moving chords with the melody harmonized in thirds with octaves in left hand while B section has more motion in the left hand (Alberti bass) and a more flowing melody;

Fanny Hensel, Das Jahr (H. 385), 7. “Juli”

measures	label	key	relation to home key
1-16	A	F major	I (tonic)
17-32	B	F minor	i (parallel minor)
33-36	transition	F minor	i (parallel minor)
37-74	A'	F major	I (tonic)

In what way(s) does the middle B section in this ternary form contrast with the surrounding A sections?

B section is primarily in the parallel minor; A sections are in simple meter and have slow, pensive chords with descending melodic content while B section is in compound meter and have faster moving repeated chords in both hands;

Amanda Maier, Violin Sonata in B minor, II. Andantino

measures	label	key	relation to home key
1-32	A	G major	I (tonic)
33-46	transition	G major to E minor	I (tonic) to vi (submediant/relative minor)
47-102	B	E minor	vi (submediant/relative minor)
103-118	transition	E minor to G major	vi (submediant/relative minor) to I (tonic)
119-145	A'	G major	I (tonic)
145-170	coda	G major	I (tonic)

In what way(s) does the middle B section in this ternary form contrast with the surrounding A sections?

B section is primarily in relative minor; A sections are slow (Andantino) and have flowing melody in the violin with repetitive accompaniment figures in the piano while B section is much faster (Allegretto, un poco vivace) and features sixteenth note scale figures in both parts;

Harry Thacker Burleigh, From the Southland, 5. “On Bended Knees”

measures	label	key	relation to home key
1-13	A	G minor	i (tonic)
14-31	B	G major	I (parallel major)
32-38	transition	G major to G minor	I (parallel major) to i (tonic)
39-49	A'	G minor	i (tonic)
50-52	coda	G major	I (parallel major)

In what way(s) does the middle B section in this ternary form contrast with the surrounding A sections?

B section is primarily in parallel major; A sections are relatively fast (Andante con gran espressione) and in compound duple meter with tense, syncopated chords while B section is relatively slow (Religioso) and in simple quadruple meter with eighth-note chords in left and and slow moving melody in right hand (based on “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”).

Fanny Hensel, 4 Lieder for Piano (Op. 2), No. 1

measures	label	key	relation to home key
1-35	A	G major	I (tonic)
36-74	B	G minor	i (parallel minor)
75-87	A'	G major	I (tonic)
87-96	coda	G major	I (tonic)

In what way(s) does the middle B section in this ternary form contrast with the surrounding A sections?

B section is primarily in parallel minor; A sections have driving eighth-note chordal accompaniment under slow melody in right hand while B section is characterized by arpeggios in flowing sixteenth notes;

Rondo Form Diagrams

Draw two diagrams, one outline a typical 5-part rondo form and the other outlining a typical 7-part rondo form.

5-part rondo:

7-part rondo:

Completing Rondo Forms

Below, you will find the three instances of a 5-part rondo refrain with empty staves in between. Fill in the empty staves by composing your own music for the B and C sections. Barlines have been omitted from the empty staves so that you can pick the length of the missing sections. (Note: This excerpt is taken from an actual composition. Refrain from consulting the original score as you work, particularly since the source may be in a different form.)

source: Jane Savage, Rondo in Bb major (Op. 3, No. 2)

Analysis (rondo form)

Listen to each of the rondo forms below while following along with the score then complete the table that follows. Each row of the following tables gives the starting and ending measures of a section of the piece. Give each section a letter label (e.g., A, A', B, C, etc.) based on the melodic and melodic content found therein. In some cases it might be preferable to use a labels like “introduction,” “transition,” or “coda.” Additionally, write the key for each section and indicate how that key relates to the home key. For example, in a piece in G major, a section in E minor would be labeled “vi (submediant/relative minor)” while a section in C major would be labeled “VI (subdominant).” Note that some sections may pass through several keys. In these cases, simply specify the most prominant key in the section or, if overall the section moves from one key to another, indicate the starting and ending keys (e.g., “D major to G major” and “V (dominant) to I (tonic)”). Finally, answer the question about the overall form of the piece.

Maria Hester Park, Keyboard Sonata in Eb major (Op. 4, No. 2), III. Rondo—Allegro

measures	label	key	relation to home key
1-23	A	Eb major	I (tonic)
24-59	B	Bb major	V (dominant)
60-82	A	Eb major	I (tonic)
83-105	C	C minor	vi (submediant/relative minor)
106-129	A	Eb major	I (tonic)

What type of rondo form is this?

5-part rondo (ABACA)

Sophia Dussek, Sonata in C minor (Op. 2, No. 3), III. Rondo—Allegro

measures	label	key	relation to home key
1-16	A	C major	I (tonic)
17-36	B	C major	I (tonic)
36-49	transition	C major	I (tonic)
50-65	A	C major	I (tonic)
66-102	C	C minor	i (parallel minor)
103-118	A	C major	I (tonic)
119-138	B'	C major	I (tonic)
138-151	transition	C major	I (tonic)
152-173	A'	C major	I (tonic)

What type of rondo form is this?

7-part rondo (ABACABA)

Jane Savage, Rondo in Bb major (Op. 3, No. 2)

measures	label	key	relation to home key
1-8	A	Bb major	I (tonic)
9-16	B	Bb major to F major	I (tonic) to V (dominant)
17-24	A	Bb major	I (tonic)
25-35	C	G minor	vi (submediant/relative minor)
36-43	A	Bb major	I (tonic)
44-59	D	Eb major	IV (subdominant)
60-67	A	Bb major	I (tonic)
67-75	coda	Bb major	I (tonic)

What type of rondo form is this?

7-part rondo (ABACADA)

Joseph Bologne Saint-Georges, String Quartet in C minor (Op. 1, No. 4), II. Rondeau

measures	label	key	relation to home key
1-8	A	C minor	i (tonic)
9-24	B	Eb major	III (mediant/relative major)
25-36	transition	C minor	i (tonic)
37-44	A	C minor	i (tonic)
45-52	C	C major	I (parallel major)
53-63	transition	C major to C minor	I (parallel major) to i (tonic)
64-71	A	C minor	i (tonic)

What type of rondo form is this?

5-part rondo (ABACA)

License

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Fundamentals, Function, and Form Copyright © 2023 by Ivette Herryman Rodriguez, Andre Mount, and Jerod Sommerfeldt is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Ternary Form Diagram

Completing Ternary Forms

Analysis (ternary form)

Rondo Form Diagrams

Completing Rondo Forms

Analysis (rondo form)

License

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