What Are Nursery Rhymes in Ternary Form?

ShellyS/CC-BY-2.0

A nursery rhyme in ternary form has three different sections in the composition. Ternary form is a common musical form used in various short compositions.

A classical example of a nursery rhyme in ternary form is “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” This nursery rhyme has three different sections to it, with the first and last sections being the same. The middle section is different; the overall nursery rhyme follows an “A-B-A” pattern in terms of its melody. Another example song in ternary form, according to Preschool Music Lesson Plans, is “I Had a Little Nut Tree.” This type of simplistic structure allows young children to learn the basic forms and patterns that music takes.