This chapter introduces the phrase, the sentence, the period, the repeated phrase, compound forms, and unique phrase-level forms.

A phrase is a relatively complete thought that exhibits trajectory toward a goal. In tonal classical music, that goal is almost always one of the traditional cadence types, but in other kinds of music, that goal may be something else.

A sentence is a special kind of phrase that contains a presentation and a continuation.

Sometimes phrases are combined to form larger forms. Two such combinations of phrases are:

The period: a phrase-level form consisting of an antecedent and a consequent.

The repeated phrase: two phrases where the second is a written-out repeat of the first.

Sometimes two sentences are arranged in an antecedent-consequent relationship to create a compound period.

Although the forms discussed in this chapter are all quite common, it's equally common for a composer to write a unique phrase-level form that isn't in dialogue with the ones discussed here.

Chapter Playlist

The Phrase

[](https://viva.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/12/2019/06/Example_001-e1623944080164.png) Example 1. A segmentation analysis of a phrase of common length in Schubert, "Du bist die Ruh" (0:21–0:32).

[](https://viva.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/12/2019/06/Example_002-e1623944015483.png) Example 2. A segmentation analysis of a phrase of unique length in Fanny Hensel, "Abendbild" (0:00–0:40).

A phrase is a relatively complete thought that exhibits trajectory toward a goal, arriving at a sense of closure. In tonal classical music, the goal of a phrase is almost always one of the kinds of cadences described in the Introduction to Harmony, Cadences, and Phrase Endings chapter: perfect authentic cadences (PACs), imperfect authentic cadences (IACs), and half cadences (HCs).In other kinds of music, such as post-tonal music or popular music, closure may be signaled by other kinds of devices.

A phrase can be any length, but phrases of 4, 8, or 16 measures are particularly common. Example 1 shows a segmentation analysis for a phrase of 4 measures (a common length), while Example 2 shows a segmentation analysis for a phrase of 13 measures (an unusual length).

Phrases can comprise either ideas or both subphrases and ideas. The diagrams in Example 3 depict both of these scenarios.

When we diagram phrases, we follow two general principles:

Square brackets are used for ideas and subphrases (essentially anything that doesn't have to end with a cadence).

Arcs are used for anything at the phrase level or above (essentially anything that must end with a cadence).See the discussion of formal hierarchy in Foundational Concepts for Phrase-Level Forms for a reminder of what is above the phrase level.

[](https://viva.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/12/2019/06/Example_004-e1623944801914.png) Example 3. A phrase divided into (a) ideas only, and (b) subphrases and ideas.

Because closure is so important for phrase identification, it's crucial to correctly identify cadences. Not every pause or V–I motion is a cadence! Example 4 discusses a passage with multiple locations someone might mistakenly label as cadences.

Example 4. A passage with multiple locations someone might mistakenly label as cadences in Haydn's Piano Trio in F Major, Hob. XV:6, I (0:00–0:24).

Two Categories: Archetypes vs. Unique Forms

Below, we'll explore two main ways that phrase-level forms might be organized:

They might play with what we'll call an archetype. These are special ways of organizing phrases, and you'll read about two kinds: sentences and periods.

They might not relate to an archetype at all, in which case we'll say they're unique forms, meaning they are not organized as sentences or periods.

Note that this doesn’t mean that archetypes are more common than unique forms. Phrase-level forms belonging to both categories appear frequently in common-practice music. Moreover, these categories might best be viewed as two ends of a spectrum (Example 5) in which a phrase-level form can be understood as “closer” to one category or the other without clearly belonging to either one.

[](https://viva.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/12/2019/06/Example_005_Spectrum.png)

Example 5. A spectrum of phrase-level formal categories.

Archetype 1: The Sentence (A Special Kind of Phrase)

The Basics

[](https://viva.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/12/2019/06/Example_005-e1623945293487.png) EXAMPLE 6. A sentence at the beginning of Louise Farrenc, Cello Sonata, II (0:00–0:28).

Example 6 shows one common way to construct a phrase, called a sentence. A sentence consists of two subphrases: the presentation and the continuation. The presentation is often four measures long, and it consists of a basic idea (b.i.) and its repetition. The continuation is often the same length as the presentation, creating a sense of proportional balance. It's characterized by four traits that are discussed below.

[](https://viva.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/12/2019/06/Example_006-e1659277976559.png) Example 7. Common sentence lengths.

[](https://viva.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/12/2019/06/Example_007-e1623945514247.png) Example 8. A hypothetical sentence with a continuation that's longer than the presentation.

Although it's common for the presentation and continuation to be the same length (several common lengths are shown in Example 7), just as often, the continuation is longer than the presentation (Example 8). However, it's not common for the continuation to be shorter than the presentation.

More Detail: The Prese