[ Previous | Table of Contents | Next ]

Musical Form

Expanded & Irregular Forms

Organization of the Beatles' songs were more complex than most preceding rock music, which was typically in very symmetrical forms based on 8-, 12-, or 16-bar phrases

Listen to the Beatles' innovative use of musical form

 

 

Listen to the Beatles' innovative use of musical form

A Day in the Life (complete)

see p. 110 in text - form is unique ... not a copy of some preestablished formula

A - 10-measure phrases, rather than typical 8 measures

the phrase "I saw a photograph" added to the end creates the additional 2 measures

B - 5-measure & 10-measure phrases

Irregular Phrase Length

Love Me Do

13-measure verse

Michelle

6-measure verse, 10-measure bridge

Yesterday

7-measure phrases

I Am the Walrus

3-measure phrases

Hello Goodbye

15 1/2 measure section: 5 - 3 1/2 - 3 - 4 [different from book]

microform (phrases, sections, etc) vs macroform (groups of songs & entire albums; "concept album")

[ Previous | Table of Contents | Next ]