How Does Melody Tell a Story? -- Part 3: SONG FORM

Learn how to unlock the secret of SONG FORM by analyzing common structural formulas of melodic form.

Today’s episode concludes our 3-part series on MELODY and how it tells a story.  We’ll examine how to identify phrase lengths, how to discover the structural formula your phrases are following, and how a song’s form emerges from phrase groups, more commonly called “song sections.”

Once you understand the form of the song, you’ll be able to trace your character’s transformation throughout the song by identifying where the main sections of the song are.  Then you can create clear beat shifts for your character as the sections change. 

I analyze song examples from Tin Pan Alley, the Golden Age, and contemporary musical theatre so you can see common song form formulas at work across several eras.   Plus, you’ll finally know exactly where the numbers for 16 and 32 bar audition cuts come from!

If you're ready to take your storytelling to the next level with practical score analysis, then press play now!

Xo,
Korrie

Be sure to listen to Parts 1 and 2 of this series!

Episode 19 How Does Melody Tell a Story? -- Part 1: Melodic Contour

Episode 20 How Does Melody Tell a Story? -- Part 2: Motivic Development

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