Kaii Lee had combined several piano/keyboard method books and her life long music learning books to create this sequential music theory study for this website. Throughout centuries, composers have been using forms to outline their music. The forms can be identified as Binary, Ternary, Dance Suites, Prelude and Fugue, Sonata, Rondo, Theme & Variation, and even the 12-Bar Blues. All songs use certain forms to organize the musical ideas, whether instrumental or vocal. This page is about the music form called Dance Suites. A Dance Suite composed during the Baroque period usually has many movements, such as Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue, plus more optional movements. By clicking on the other colored links at the bottom of this page, the other music theory topics can be found easily.
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Prelude | Overture | Allemande | Courante | Sarabande | Gigue | Menuet | Bourrée | Gavotte | Air | Other Dances
The form of a Dance Suite had been used since the 14th century. A Suite means a series of music while a Partita means a set of music. The most popular Dance Suites were composed mostly during the Baroque Period. Some of the famous composers for this form during Baroque Period were Henry Purcell, François Couperin, Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Sebastien Bach, and George Frideric Handel. In the more recent centuries, Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker", Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring", Gustav Holst's "The Planets" are all considered as Dance Suites. All these music has one thing in common: a collection of small pieces put together with a common theme. Each of the small piece will be discussed below.
The Prelude could be used at the very beginning of a Dance Suite. As in the Prelude and Fugue form, the Prelude here is used to warm up the musicians for the following more difficult dances.
JS Bach Partita No.1, in B Flat Major, BWV 825 |
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The Overture is also called the French Overture. Its basic formal division is into two parts, which are usually enclosed by double bars and repeat signs. They are opposite in style, usually slow with dotted rhythms and fast in fugal style, and the first ends with a half-cadence that requires an answering structure with a tonic ending. The second section often but not always ends with a brief reprice of the first, sometimes even repeating certain melodic lines. Sometimes a Symphonie, a Fantasie, or an Intrada could be used instead of an Overture. The following Overture example from George Frederic Handel's "Messiah" was a perfect opening movement in this oratorio.
| George Frederic Handel's Oratorio, "Messiah", HWV 56 |
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The next piece after the opening movement is usually the Allemande. This is a German dance with a duple time signature (mostly 4/4) that has two separated and repeated divisions. It is usually rich in harmony, melody and rhythmic forms. It is always a fast-moving movement with the legato playing style. The following example is taken from Henry Purcell's Suite in A Minor, Z.663. Clearly, the Allemande followed the Prelude and there would be the separate second division after the repeat sign.
Henry Purcell/s Keyboard Suite in A Minor, Z.663 |
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A Courante is a three-beat dance. Composers have used 3/2, 3/4, and even 3/8 time signatures in writing this piece. It has scales and arpeggios built in and allows the performers the liberty to "stretch" the rhythm to make the music beautiful and pleasing to the ears. It is usually performed in the style of legato. Here is an example from Georg Philipp Telemann's Suite in A Major, in three movements, Allemande, Courante, and Gigue.
| Georg Philipp Telemann's Suite in A Major, TWV 32:14 |
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Sarabande is a slow Spanish dance that is written with either 3/2 or 3/4 time signatures. It usually has two separate and repeated divisions. Many composers have used the Adagio or Lento tempo to express their harmonic ideas. It has a sincere feel of the music that Johann Sebastien Bach had religious words written for some of his Sarabandes. Here is an example from Johann Sebastien Bach's Sarabande in G Minor.
| Johann Sebastien Bach's Sarabande, in G Minor, BWV 839 |
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The Gigue (Giga) is a lively dance music, usually with 6/8, 12/8, or 12/16 time signatures. However, in Johann Sebastien Bach's music, there are time signatures of 9/16, 4/2, 4/4 and 3/8. In most Gigues, there are two parts and each part is repeated. The Italian Gigues are mostly written for violin and with quick passages and should be played with a flowing feeling. The following example is taken from Johann Sebastien's English Suite.
Johann Sebastien Bach's English Suite No. 1, in G Minor, Gigue, BWV 806 |
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There are less frequently used dances in a Dance Suite, such as a Menuet. Just about all Menuets were written with 3/4 time signature. This is not meant for dancing. There are two separate and repeated parts in each Menuet; therefore, the Binary form comes to mind. Each part has eight measures. Even with repeats, the music could be rather short. So, some Dance Suites have a Menuet II right after the first Menuet. The following sample is taken from Georg Philipp Telemann's Menuet for two horns.
Georg Philipp Telemann's Menuet for two horns, in C Major, TWV 40:110 |
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The Bourrée has a French origin and sometimes the words would accompany it. The Bourrée is similar to the Gavotte in that it is in duple time signature and often has a "Long---Short-Short" rhythm. However, it is somewhat quicker, and its melody starts with an Up-Beat. See the following example from Georg Frederic Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks."
The Bourrée became an optional movement in the Classical Period. Frederic Chopin wrote several bourgeois, and they were not for dancing purposes.
| George Frederic Handel, Music for the Royal Fireworks, Bourrée, HWV 351 |
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| Frederic Chopin's Bourrée No. 1, in G Major, B.160b1 |
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Gavotte and Musette are parts of the Dance Suite. A Gavotte is another French folk dance and usually in 4/4 time signature or 2/2 (alle breve) and has the duple feel. It usually starts with an Up-Beat, has two separated parts with repeats, and in Binary form. The characters of a Gavotte is quick but not running. Some later period Gavottes had turned into Ternary form, or even Rondo form. The example here is taken from George Frederic Handel's Gavotte for Trumpet.
Since Gavottes are short little songs, a second Gavotte could be in certain Dance Suites. However, to differentiate the two different Gavottes, the second Gavotte was called a Musette.
George Frederic Handel's Gavotte, in G Major, HWV 491 |
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Here is a Musette from Johann Sebastien Bach's "Notebook for Magdalena." With the Da Capo al Fine, (go back to the beginning and continue to the ending sign-Fine) repeat sign, this Musette is in the Ternary form.
Johann Sebastien Bach's Musette, in D Major, BWV Anh. 126 |
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With a melodic line in mind, an Air is always lyrical, like song without words. One of the most famous "Air" was written by Johann Sebastien Bach. In his Orchestral Suite No.3, in D Major, immediately after the Overture, this famous "Air" features the first violins with a stunning melody with a changed mood from the Overture. With the following example, there are two endings at the Half Cadence, measure 7. And after the double bar, the second part of this "Air" would continue, with a repeat, and complete with an Authentic Cadence.
| Johann Sebastien Bach's "Air" in D Major, BWV 1068 |
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The next example of an "Air" is also composed by Johann Sebastien Bach. It has lyrics to go with the melodic line. For easy singing, the music is transposed to G Minot.
| Johann Sebastien Bach's "Air" in D Minor, BWV 515 |
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| Johann Sebastien Bach's "Air" in D Minor, BWV 515 |
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After all the above dances in any Dance Suite, composers have also written more dances with lesser-known names, such as Anglaise, Burlesca, Caprice, Loure, Passepied, Passacaglia, Polonaise, Rondeau, and Scherzo. See the following for some examples for these dances.
Anglaise is an old English country-dance with a dance form in quick duple time, occasionally constituting part of an 18th-century instrumental suite.
Gustave Vogt's "Melodie Anglaise" for Oboe and Piano |
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Burlesca is a fast-moving dance with two repeated divisions. Here is a sample of a duet from Johann Sebastien Bach's oldest son, Wilhalm Friedemann Bach.
| Wilhelm Friedemann Bach "Burlesca" for an instrumental duet |
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Caprice is another quick tempo dance that could be a substitution for a Gigue or a Rondeau and to be placed at the end of a Dance Suite. It is usually in duple meter and includes two repeated divisions. The first half is always ending with a Half Cadence. Through some interesting modulations, the Caprice would end on the original tonality. Here is Johann Sebastien Bach' Partita No. 2 for a good example.
| Johann Sebastien Bach's Partita No. 2, in C Minor, BWV 826 |
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Loure is a slow movement that is set in 3/4 or 6/4 time signature. The slower tempo allows more time for clear dotted rhythm, trills, and other ornaments. It starts with an Up-Beat and has two separated and repeated divisions. The following example is taken from Johann Sebastien Bach's violin Partita No. 3.
| Johann Sebastien Bach's Violin Partita No.3, "Loure", in E Major, BWV 1006 |
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Passacaille is always in minor keys with a duple meter. There are reoccurring themes between voicing. It is usually an instrumental music, not for singing. The following example is taken from George Frederic Handel's Keyboard Suite in G Minor.
| George Frederic Handel's Suite in G Minor, "Passacaille", HWV 432 |
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Passepied is a dance similar to a Menuet. It is usually written in 3/4 or 3/8 and performed in a quick but not rushed tempo. It is placed in front of a Gigue in many Dance Suites. The following example is taken from Christoph Willibald Gluck's "Twelve Opera Dances."
| Christoph Willibald Gluck's "Passepied" from "Twelve Opera Dances" |
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Polonaise has a specific rhythm that is the character of Polish dances. It has a "Short-Short -Long---Long---" feel in the melodic line. It is usually in 3/4 time signature. This dance always starts on the down beat. The following example is taken from Johann Gottlieb Goldberg's "24 Polonaises for Keyboard."
| Johann Gottlieb Goldberg's "Polonaise No.2" |
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Rondeau has been placed at the very end or second to the last movement of some Dance Suites. It is a French dance that can be written in either duple or triple meters and has recurring phrases. It is usually a fast moving piece of music. The following example is guitar music from "Rondeau in E Minor" by François Campion. Measures 16 and 32 are the repeated phrases in this example.
| François Campion's "Rondeau No.1" |
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Scherzo is an instrumental piece. It is always in a quick tempo and has repeats. The following example is taken from Georg Philipp Telemann's Trio.
| Georg Philipp Telemann's Scherzo No.1, in A Major, TWV 42:A1 |
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Siciliano is a dance originated from Sicily. This dance is usually written in 6/8 time signature and is performed in the style of legato. The following example is taken from Scarlatti's keyboard work.
| Domenico Scarlatti's "Siciliano" from "22 Pieces Keyboard Music" |
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The next topic in this Music Theory site is all about "Prelude & Fugue." Thank you for reading!
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