What is formal structure in music?

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Formal structure in music is the traditional way in which western music is constructed. Is is essencially a form of mathematics with principles dating back to ancient Greece. From the Greeks, we get our basic concepts of scales, tonality( the establishment of a central tone known as the keynote around which all melody, harmony, and counterpoint revolve and on which the melody and bassline usually end), and mode( one of a number of scales that can be derived from a single scale pattern). While seven modes are possible from the scale as we know it, only two modes, major and minor, are most often used.). Music theory, like traditional mathematics, uses major premises and equations taken from the physics of pure tone. It is similar to geometry only instead of three dimensions, there are only two; time- the horizontal first dimension, and pitch- the vertical second dimension. Basic rhythm is an established set of points in time equal in distance from each other called beats or counts. The interval of time between beats is called the tempo. The closer together the beats, the faster the tempo and the farther apart, the slower. Pitch is the sound or set of sounds that occur at a given point in time. The primary set of pitches for a single "voice" of sound is called the melody. It may stay on a single voice or it may shift from one voice to another. The set of sounds occurring at a given point in time is called harmony and the set of melodic ideas sounding at the same time with the "principle melody" is called counterpoint. The elements, harmony and counterpoint are created anytime two or more voices sound together with one element prevailing over the other. Thus, three basic styles of music are created:1. Monophonic- melody only or with rhymic accompaniment 2. Polyphonic- prevailing counterpoint 3. Homophonic- prevailing harmony. Since I mentioned elements, there are eight basic musical elements: 1. Rhythm 2. Form- the chosen organizational format of a composition 3. Melody 4. Harmony 5. Counterpoint (these make the basic "body" of a composition) 6. Dynamics- the selected levels of volume 7. Tempo 8. Tone Color- the selected types of sounds wanted by the composer for his work (these would be the "soul" because it is in these elements that the thoughts and feelings of the composer and possibly the performer are conveyed thus bringing the composition to life).

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