ABSTRACT
The 32-bar AABA form is the most common formal prototype underlying the repertory of standard tunes. In the overview of this formal model, we will distinguish between two distinct tonal variants: on-tonic and off-tonic. These variants are ultimately related to the type of phrase models that occur at the beginning of a tune. In Chapter 21, Phrase Models 2, 3, 5, and 13 featured an off-tonic phrase identifier, while the remaining models began on the tonic chord. Whereas phrase models capture the harmonic characteristics of common eight-bar phrases that occur in the A, B, and C sections of the tune, the formal prototypes combine phrase models in their most basic harmonic setting and illustrate possible tonal departures in the bridge (or other sections). Depending on the complexity of the tune, the prototype may include anywhere from one to four phrase models. “Can’t We Talk It Over,” for instance, features only one phrase model; whereas “Stella By Starlight” combines four distinct phrase models, one for each eight-bar phrase in the song. By and large, the formal prototype with two unique phrase models (albeit with some melodic and harmonic variations) is by far the most common.
