Sonata Form
ABA Form

Essential Vocabulary:

Form is the way we organize sound. Just as we can see shapes of objects with our eyes, we can hear shapes of music with our ears.  When we hear patterns of sound in music, we are beginning to understand form. 

When shapes are put together in different ways, they create different forms.   These forms can create images like tress, houses and people.  A composer does the same thing.  He uses pieces of music and puts them together in different ways to create different musical forms. 

Let's take a closer look at Sonata Form using Mozart's Piano Sonata in C Major: 

The first section of Sonata form is called the Statement.   This is where the main themes are introduced.  Themes are like characters in a book.  There are two themes in the Statement section.  They are called the Theme 1 and Theme 2. 

The second section is called the Fantasia.   This is where the composer plays with the two themes.  Listen for the minor key.

The third and final section is called Restatement.   This is where the first section repeats.

This is what Sonata form looks like as a graphic:

Click a letter to hear a section.  To hear the entire piece, click here.

You are now ready to take the online test. Go to FunBrain, enter your user name and password in the Kids Lab Quiz Login, and select the test titled Sonata Form.

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