Music’s Secret Building Blocks: Binary Form (Key Stage 1)
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
To be read with a grown-up!
Grown-ups: Help your young musician try out the fun actions in this post as you read together!
Have you ever wondered how a song is put together?
Just like you use different colored Lego bricks to build a tower, composers use different musical "sections" to build a song.
Today, we are going to learn about a very special building plan called Binary Form.
What Does "Binary" Mean?
The word "binary" is just a fancy way of saying two parts. Imagine a story that has two chapters:
Section A: The beginning of the story where we meet the characters.
Section B: A new adventure that takes us somewhere different before the story ends.
In music, we call these the A-part and the B-part.
Let’s Find the A and B in Your Favorite Songs
We can hear these two parts in songs you might already know!
Song Title | Section A (The Start) | Section B (The Change) |
Pop! Goes the Weasel | Half a Pound … | POP! |
Row, Row, Row Your Boat | Row, Row, Row … | Merrily … |
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star | Twinkle, Twinkle … | Up Above the World … |
1. Pop! Goes the Weasel
Do you know Pop! Goes the Weasel, Sing along with the music to hear the two sections. Section A is at the start and at the beginning of section B don’t forget to shout POP!
Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of treacle,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
2. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
This little song has two sections! In section A pretend you are rowing down the stream.
Clap your hands on Mer-ri-ly, it has a fun rhythm, this is Section B.
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream.
3. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Twinkle Twinkle is a beautiful two part song. Can you sing the two sections? Section A is a question. Do you wonder what stars are too? Section B is an answer, remember to point up to the night time stars as you sing this line.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are?
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Sssh, a little secret: This song repeats line 1 again at the end, which has a special name to describe it. We will talk about it in Stage 2 when we learn how to play it.
Why is Binary Form Useful?
Knowing the "blueprint" of your music helps you become a piano superstar!
It’s Easier to Remember: Instead of learning 100 notes, you just have to learn the A-part and the B-part.
It’s Like a Map: When you finish the A-part, your brain knows exactly where to go next.
Next time you practice, see if you can spot where the A-part ends and the B-part begins!
Quiz Time for Key Stage 1
What does the word "Binary" mean?
A) Three parts
B) Two parts
C) Lots of parts
Which part is the beginning of the song, where we meet the characters?
A) Section B (The Change)
B) Section A (The Start)
C) Sitting at the Piano to do my practice
In the song 'Pop! Goes the Weasel', which word brings the big surprise at the end?"
A) Pop!
B) Ssh!
C) Jump!
Key Stage 1 Glossary
Binary Form: A special plan for music that uses two main parts or 'chapters' (A and B).
Binary: Means 'two parts.'
A-part (Section A): The beginning of the song, like where a story starts.
B-part (Section B): The part where the music changes a little bit, like a new adventure.
Composers: People who write music.
