BINARY FORM

Binary form is a way of structuring a piece of music in two related sections, both
of which are usually repeated.
Binary form was popular in the Baroque period, often used to structure
movements from sonatas for keyboard instruments.

It was also used for short, one-movement works. Around the middle of the 18th
century, the form largely fell from use as the principal design of entire
movements as sonata form and organic development gained prominence.

Many larger forms incorporate binary structures, and many more complicated
forms (such as sonata forms) share certain characteristics with binary form.

A piece in binary form is characterized by two complementary, related sections of

roughly equal duration, which come up frequently. The first section will start in a
certain key, and will usually modulate to a related key:
▪ compositions in major keys will typically modulate to the dominant, the fifth
scale degree above the tonic
▪ compositions in minor keys will typically modulate to the relative major, the
major key centered on the third scale degree above the tonic; alternatively the
first section could close in the dominant minor, or with an imperfect cadence in
the original key

The second section of the piece begins in the newly established key, where it
remains for an indefinite period of time. After some harmonic activity, the piece
will eventually modulate back to its original key before ending. More often than
not, especially in 18th-century compositions, the A and B sections are separated
by double bars with repeat signs, meaning both sections were to be repeated.
Binary form is usually characterized as having the form AB, though since both
sections repeat, a more accurate description would be AABB. Others, however,
prefer to use the label AA′. This second designation points to the fact that there is
no great change in character between the two sections. The rhythms and
melodic material used will generally be closely related in each section, and if the
piece is written for a musical ensemble, the instrumentation will generally be the
same.

Simple vs. rounded

Occasionally, the B section will end with a "return" of the opening material from
the A section. This is referred to as rounded binary, and is labeled as ABA′. In
rounded binary, the beginning of the B section is sometimes referred to as the
"bridge", and will usually conclude with a half cadence in the original key.

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Rounded binary is not to be confused with ternary form, also labeled ABA—the
difference being that, in ternary form, the B section contrasts completely with the
A material as in, for example, a minuet and trio. Another important difference
between the rounded and ternary form is that in rounded binary, when the "A"
section returns, it will typically contain only half of the full "A" period, whereas
ternary form will end with the full "A" section.

Rounded binary or minuet form:

A :||: B A or A'
I(->V) :||: V(or other closely related) I

If the B section lacks such a return of the opening A material, the piece is said to
be in simple binary.
Simple: A->B :||: A->B

Sectional vs. continuous

If the A section ends with an Authentic (or Perfect) cadence in the original tonic
key of the piece, the design is referred to as a sectional binary. This refers to
the fact that the piece is in different tonal sections, each beginning and ending in
their own respective keys.
If the A section ends with any other kind of cadence, the design is referred to as
a continuous binary. This refers to the fact that the B section will "continue on"
with the new key established by the cadence at the end of A.
Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical
If the A and B sections are roughly equal in length, the design is referred to as
symmetrical.
If the A and B sections are of unequal length, the design is referred to as
asymmetrical. In such cases, the B section is usually substantially longer than
the A section.
The asymmetrical binary form begins to be more common than the symmetrical
type from about the time of Beethoven onwards, and is almost routine in the main
sections of Minuet and Trio or Scherzo and Trio movements in the works of many
composers from Beethoven onwards. In such cases, occasionally only the first
section of the binary structure is marked to be repeated.

Balanced binary
In some simple continuous binary forms, there is a kind of "rhyme" between the
closing gesture of the first reprise and the closing gesture of the second. In other
words, the cadence material at the end of the first reprise (in the key of the
dominant) will return, transposed to the tonic, at the end of the second reprise.
This is referred to as balanced binary.