ABSTRACT
The repertory is brimming with phrases structured identically to these. However, not all are as clear about their length. In this regard, both meter and tempo must be considered. In a contrasting period, the two phrases may share some motivic material but still differ enough to be designated a b. Composers of concert music are careful to vary phrase lengths. One way is through extension. Although a phrase can be extended at any point in its course, the most common method is the cadential extension. This might be nothing more than repeated cadence, or it might be something more. Popular music tends to be less varied than concert music in its phrasing. This is partly because popular songs are relatively short and strongly tied to dance, which fosters regular phrase lengths. Yet, there are exceptions. Leonard Bernstein’s music treads the line between popular and concert music with particular skill and balance.
