But the task of phrase analysis is by no means always thus easy.
LENGTH OF THE REGULAR PHRASE .-- Fortunately for the work of analysis, there are certain established landmarks of forms, so conscientiously observed, and so firmly grounded in the practices of classic writing (because the necessary consequences of natural law), that it is generally practicable to fix fairly regular and plausible boundaries to the phrase, notwithstanding the freedom and elasticity which characterize the application of the syntactic principle in music.
Therefore the student will find that a phrase, in the great majority of cases, covers exactly _four measures_, and will seldom be misled if he looks for the end of his phrase four measures beyond its beginning.
This refers, be it understood, only to measures of average size (in the ordinary time denominations, 3-4, 4-4, 6-8 measure).

If the measures are uncommonly large (9-8, 12-8), the phrase will probably cover no more than two of them; or, if small (2-4, or 3-4 in rapid tempo), the phrase may extend to the eighth measure.

The operation of this four-measure rule is exhibited with striking regularity and persistence in the _Jugend Album_ of Schumann (op.

68); throughout its forty-three numbers there are probably no more than a half-dozen phrases whose length differs from this standard.

For example: [Illustration: Example 16.