“Poker Face”: A Pop Song in Sonata Form
To think that popular music can be compared with classical forms from the 18th and 19th centuries is fascinating, as it shows that music builds on itself in the form of history. Great composers such as Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Beethoven and others catalyzed the emergence and development of the sonata form in the classical period, giving future composers a foundation for writing music. Therefore, it is interesting to analyze the roots of popular music, and to see where the piece’s foundation lies. “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga is one such song that has its roots in the classical sonata form. While there are slight differences between “Poker Face” and the classical sonata form, “Poker Face” has the …show more content…
The song itself begins with a very catchy hook; an introduction simply comprised of four bars of “Mum mum mum mah,” lasting until 0:25. The exposition then starts with the first verse, which lasts from 0:25 to 0:40. Following Verse 1 is the B Section, which can be seen as the introduction of a new theme. Then, from 1:00 to 1:13 minutes into the song, the chorus kicks in. The chorus differentiates itself from a verse because a chorus repeats both the music and the lyrics. When verse 2 starts at 1:26, the listener hears different words in a similar key, with the same theme. The following chorus, then, reiterates the initial motif of the exposition. The introduction of various motifs in the the first two choruses and verse just like the exposition in a sonata. A shortfall exists because in classical sonata form, there are multiple themes that get introduced in the exposition; usually in a different key. While Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” is very similar to the sonata form, as it clearly has an exposition, the complication comes from the fact that there is no noticeable key …show more content…
This is a section where the song goes back to the original melody after having transitioned away in the development. The recapitulation begins at 2:36 in “Poker Face,” with the third chorus. Lady Gaga repeats the chorus three more times until 3:13, when the interlude ends the song in the form of a coda, just like a sonata. This can be equated with the recapitulation because there is a distinct move back to the initial motif, with which the song started. In “Poker Face,” this is seen by the return of the chorus at 2:36, where background music and lyrics are brought back from the exposition. Therefore, the material from the exposition is recapitulated in the tonic key of the movement, reaffirming the key as the movement’s home
To think that popular music can be compared with classical forms from the 18th and 19th centuries is fascinating, as it shows that music builds on itself in the form of history. Great composers such as Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Beethoven and others catalyzed the emergence and development of the sonata form in the classical period, giving future composers a foundation for writing music. Therefore, it is interesting to analyze the roots of popular music, and to see where the piece’s foundation lies. “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga is one such song that has its roots in the classical sonata form. While there are slight differences between “Poker Face” and the classical sonata form, “Poker Face” has the …show more content…
The song itself begins with a very catchy hook; an introduction simply comprised of four bars of “Mum mum mum mah,” lasting until 0:25. The exposition then starts with the first verse, which lasts from 0:25 to 0:40. Following Verse 1 is the B Section, which can be seen as the introduction of a new theme. Then, from 1:00 to 1:13 minutes into the song, the chorus kicks in. The chorus differentiates itself from a verse because a chorus repeats both the music and the lyrics. When verse 2 starts at 1:26, the listener hears different words in a similar key, with the same theme. The following chorus, then, reiterates the initial motif of the exposition. The introduction of various motifs in the the first two choruses and verse just like the exposition in a sonata. A shortfall exists because in classical sonata form, there are multiple themes that get introduced in the exposition; usually in a different key. While Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” is very similar to the sonata form, as it clearly has an exposition, the complication comes from the fact that there is no noticeable key …show more content…
This is a section where the song goes back to the original melody after having transitioned away in the development. The recapitulation begins at 2:36 in “Poker Face,” with the third chorus. Lady Gaga repeats the chorus three more times until 3:13, when the interlude ends the song in the form of a coda, just like a sonata. This can be equated with the recapitulation because there is a distinct move back to the initial motif, with which the song started. In “Poker Face,” this is seen by the return of the chorus at 2:36, where background music and lyrics are brought back from the exposition. Therefore, the material from the exposition is recapitulated in the tonic key of the movement, reaffirming the key as the movement’s home