Sections are punctuated by strong cadences . Longer songs and extended pieces of music are usually formed into two or more complete sections, while a shorter song or melody may be formed of phrases and have no sectional structure. At the macro-level of musical structure exists the complete work formed of motives , phrases and sections . This is the manner in which Western music is conceptualized as structure. Many other world musics are conceptualized in a similar manner.
Musical structure has a close affinity with architecture and mathematics.
Many compositional decisions that involve pitch relationships are mathematical in nature. Repetition of the material of music plays a very important role in the composing of music and somewhat more than in other artistic media. If one looks at the component motives of any melody, the successive repetition of the motives becomes apparent. Repetition is also used in chord progressions and in patterns of dynamics and timbre. Whole phrases and sections of music often repeat.