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People say that Beethoven's "Für Elise" is in ABACA structure. What does that actually mean?

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  • I am flagging this - please restrict one post to one question. – Ansel Chang Apr 17 '17 at 17:10
  • I agree this is a bit confusing. Technique, musical structure, and the presence of an unexpected note are all three separate topics that are not related at all. – Todd Wilcox Apr 18 '17 at 0:12
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There's a D# because it sounds good!! Why shouldn't there be? There is no rule (at least that needs following) about which notes should or shouldn't be in a piece in a particular key! It's more than likely some teacher has said 'you can't use that note, cos it's not in the key'. A bit like when you're 5, you're told you can't take 7 away from 4...

The structure is a different issue, and A, B and C are sections. When a section re-occurs, its label (A or B), is stated again. Any new section needs a new name/letter.

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  • If a piece of music was restricted to using the notes of one scale, we wouldn't have the term 'Chromatic note'. – Laurence Payne Apr 17 '17 at 19:29
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That is in reference to the form of the piece. You would have a A section, a B section and a C section and this refers as to how you move between them and how you move from them. In a broader sense you could call this Form Analysis

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    Moving between sections or moving from them doesn't make the sections. The sections are entities in themselves - A, B and C. – Tim Apr 18 '17 at 6:15
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ABACA structure simply means that there are 3 'repeated ideas'/sections: A, B and C.

It is the structure of the piece. Section A is played, followed by a different section B, then returning to A, to C and finishing in a cyclical structure with section A.

Under analysis, Für Elise does have this structure.

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