Form to give shape to something. Yes, form is about giving music shape. Odd as this sounds (because we can't see music) there can be a definable shape to our creations. One of the more frequently used forms is called ABA.

This means we play a section of music 1 or 2 times, we play another (B) and then we return to our first section. Seems simple enough right? Yet many students have trouble creating their own piano compositions using this simple form. Most likely, this has to do with thinking too much.

Many students over think things and make their job of music creation that much harder. It doesn't have to be that way. Not if you think in phrases! For example, take the lesson Rainforest Revisited.

Here we return to Lesson 3: "Rainforest" which is basically an extended improvisation. In Rainforest Revisited, you're shown how to add another section of music - a contrasting (B) section to create a new piece of music in ABA form.

Now most of you have no trouble when it comes to improvising and just playing the piano. Your music flows out of you and this is how it should be. The problem comes when students try and think about what comes next. Wrong approach! Don't think! Continue your next section the same way - by using your intuition.

Here's how I came up with the (B) section for Rainforest Revisited. I simply sat down at the piano, played the original "Rainforest" piece and allowed my intuition to guide me to the next section. I didn't ask "what should come next?" No. I felt my way through. I knew the (B) section would be 8-bars or so long and just came up with something contrasting to the original "Rainforest." I now had a (B) section and could turn the entire thing into an ABA form piece of music!

Edward Weiss

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet!