Variation
Variation (Latin variatio, “change”) is the name for changing a theme in such a way that it remains recognisable. Rhythm, melody, harmony, mode or accompaniment can be changed. The sheet music archive holds a guitar arrangement of “Old Folks at Home” with a theme and three variations.
- Word
- Latin variatio, “change”
- Basis
- a theme that remains recognisable
- What is changed
- rhythm, melody, harmony, mode, accompaniment
- Marking on the sheet
- “Var. 1”, “Var. 2” …, the theme as “Tema”
- Well-known works
- Bach, Goldberg Variations BWV 988; Mozart, K. 265
One theme, changed several times
The word variation comes from the Latin “variatio”, “change”. In music it means a theme that appears differently each time it returns and yet remains recognisable. The rhythm, the melody (for example through ornaments), the harmony, the mode or the accompaniment can be changed. A series of variations on a theme is called a set of variations or a variation cycle.
Theme
A short original theme in C major, two bars.
Variation 1: eighth notes instead of quarter notes
The notes of the theme are kept on the beats (C, E, G, E, F, D, C), with eighth notes in between. The rhythm becomes livelier.
Variation 2: in minor
The same melody, but with E♭ instead of E: the theme is now in C minor. A variation in minor like this is also called a minore.
Variation 3: theme in the bass
The theme moves two octaves lower into the bass. New upper voices could be placed above it.
What can be changed
The four lines show the same theme changed in three ways. In variation 1 the notes of the theme stay on the beats, and eighth notes fill the gaps in between. In variation 2 the mode changes: C major becomes C minor. In variation 3 the theme moves into the bass. In real sets of variations several means are often used at once. Well-known examples are Bach’s Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) and Mozart’s variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” (K. 265).
Theme and three variations in the sheet music archive
The archive holds a guitar arrangement of Stephen Foster’s song “Old Folks at Home”. On the sheet the theme comes first, here under its Italian name “Tema”, and is followed by three variations:
| Section | Marking on the sheet | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Theme | “Tema”, “Andante cantabile” | three ♯, time signature C, melody with accompaniment |
| Var. 1 | “Var. 1” | melody in chords, triplets |
| Var. 2 | “Var. 2”, “Brillante” | almost continuous sixteenth notes |
| Var. 3 | “Var. 3” | sixteenth notes in broken chords over bass notes |
From variation to variation the note values get smaller: first triplets, then sixteenth notes.
Variations in the sheet music archive
-
Old Folks at Home (Swanee River) Stephen Foster (1826–1864), arranged for guitar by W. L. Hayden (1881) · guitar · 3 pages
To the left of the first staff is written “Tema”, above it “Andante cantabile”, three ♯, time signature C. On page 1 “Var. 1” begins, with chords in the upper voice and triplets. On page 2 comes “Var. 2” with the marking “Brillante”; the upper voice runs in sixteenth notes. On page 3 follows “Var. 3” with sixteenth notes in broken chords over bass notes.
Common mistakes
- Changing the theme beyond recognition: A variation depends on the theme still being audible in it.
- Taking “Tema” for a misprint: It is the Italian word for “theme”.
- Thinking only of the melody: Harmony, accompaniment and register can also be changed while the melody stays the same.
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Related terms
MotifBasso ostinatoChaconnePassacagliaDiminutionMinoreMaggioreRondoSonata
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 4 October 2026
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