Separation of motifs in music

Basic building blocks of the composition

• A motif is a short melody with a high recognition value. In a complex composition, it is a kind of basic building block that can be repeated and varied over and over again.
• There are certain schemes that have proven to be particularly suitable for the melody sequence.
• The simplest structure is the period. It is eight bars long and consists of an antecedent and a subsequent clause, each of which consists of a phrase or phrase. consist of a motive and an answering counterphrase.
• The individual phrases are each two measures long. Usually the antecedent ends on the fifth tone level (dominant), which has an open, questioning effect. Accordingly, the epilogue ends on the first level, the tonic. So the two counterphrases are not identical.

Separation of motive in the sentence

• In contrast to the symmetrically structured period, the movement spans an asymmetrical arc.


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• Its antecedent consists of a two-bar motif that is repeated immediately. The repetition is often a little varied, for example through sequencing, i.e. a repetition on a different pitch.
• In the postscript, the split-off of the motif finally appears. The split-off motive introduces a new motif that is often not of an answering nature. A cadenza is also common, i.e. a little space for a soloist. In the last two bars of the episode, the split-off motif is processed, i.e. continued.
• Although the subsequent clause ends on the tonic, the whole movement appears much more open than the strictly schematic period due to the separation of the motif. On the one hand, the structure becomes asymmetrical; on the other hand, the separation of front and back endings is less clear. Overall, this makes a composition appear more driving.