Introduction (music)

Sonata form as a dramatic pyramid featuring the three main sections: the exposition, the development, and the recapitulation. The introduction would precede the exposition.

In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro. The introduction establishes melodic, harmonic, and/or rhythmic material related to the main body of a piece.

Introductions may be an ostinato that is used in the following music, an important chord or progression that establishes the tonality and groove for the following music, important but disguised or out of context motivic or thematic material. As such the introduction may be the first statement of primary or other important material, may be related to but different from the primary or other important material, or may bear little relation to any other material.

If a movement in sonata form starts with an introductory section, this introduction is not usually analyzed as being part of the movement's exposition.