Composing in Sonata Form - What is Sonata Form?

Unravel the intricacies of Sonata Form, the preferred form for the first movement of sonatas, symphonies, and concertos. This lesson provides a comprehensive journey into the intricacies of the Sonata Form as well as potential options for alternative structures. We look at key details regarding key movement, repeated subjects, section, themes and the overall development of ideas.

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🕘 Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction to what is Sonata Form?
0:57 - Exposition section
8:57 - Development section
14:00 - Recapitulation section
19:12 - Conclusion

🎓 Composing in Sonata Form Course
Start writing extended pieces, develop material and learn how to compose music using Sonata Form. Sonata Form serves as the catalyst for honing your composition skills and nurturing your growth as a proficient music creator. This course begins with an explanation of Sonata Form - what it is and how it evolved during the Classical Period. We then analyse Sonata Form movements written by Mozart and Beethoven to discover how Classical Period composers wrote in this structure and in order to see how Sonata Form was to develop during the Romantic Period. The course also explains the possible variants within Sonata Form that composers might choose to explore. There follow two composition projects. In the first, we write the essentials of a Sonata Form movement in the Classical Period style, considering how to compose first and second subjects, how to develop and recapitulate material, when to include an introduction, a Coda and transition material. In the second, we write a more extended Sonata Form movement in a more contemporary style, learning to deal with the challenges of working with Sonata Form in an atonal environment.

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[MusicMattersGB]

Composing in Sonata Form - Get the rest of this course here!

[maxjohn]

I've been reading Schoenberg's book on composition recently, and boy this is *so* much clearer than his chapter on sonata form! Many thanks, very tempted to sign up for the full course.

[scmontgomery]

Amazing video, as always. I appreciate the clear explanations. I have some new ideas thanks to this video

[davidwhite]

I learned about a primary and secondary theme, so the idea of a first subject group, and 2nd subject group is intriguing.

[carmenl]

I wish someone had explained this to me so clearly years ago. I have played lots of sonatas without understanding their structure. Thank you so much!

[pathaks]

Sonata was a curiosity since I came to know thru a film long back. Your effort on explaining cleared my curiosity on it thru structure on three steps intrigue and assimilation : Exposition, Development and Re-capitulation from rhythm to melodic to harmonic to textural. Keep it up❤

[ronaldvulcain]

Thank you so much for your clear explanations.

[cliveaitkenhead]

When Sonata Form was evolved there was no recorded music so maybe most people only heard pieces very occasionally and hence the particular value of exposition, development and recapitulation and also known form. I guess it was only the Emperors and Aristocracy who had their own organic CD players who they instructed to 'play it again Sam.' Yet another great video - thank you.

[Angel-cdo]

It would be great to have YouTube videos of, for example, some of Mozart's sonatas with the distinct sections labeled (1st subject, 1st subject developed on the relative minor, etc.) in order to make them easier to follow.

[amirojaghi]

Hi mr green, thanks a lot, if you write an example of simple sonata, step by step, it Will be so helpful for me 💙🌹🙏

[pebbleschan]

A Swedish variation is Anni-Frid, Bjorn, Benny & Agnetha - ABBA. Mama Mia! 😂

[KarstenJohansson]

Can someone suggest a sonata that is easy to follow through this framework? I love Beethoven but his stuff is so complicated it's pretty hard to tell when a new theme isn't just a variation of a previous theme because he gets so adventurous. It's easy to detect parts of the Development sections because he really digs in there, but where they begin/end is complicated. Thankfully his Recapitulation is clear, even though he changes a lot even then, too... but it's still recognizable enough you know where you are. 😅 I'd like to write something in Sonata form, but really need something simpler to really get this framework down. It doesn't have to be great - it has to be clear.

[bucal]

I've been a professional musician most of my life and have never seen a repeat-double bar as you have written. Why?

[ultramet]

Just listen to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run”. That’s actually written in Sonata form.

[vusumuzijacob-lnhl]

I will ask to teach us practical, Acsion speak louder than wordes.