戲曲音樂之「體」除了曲牌體、板腔體，還有小曲體和上下句體。小曲體和上下句體是戲曲音樂最簡單、原始的兩種結構形式，而且小曲體可說是曲牌體的「前身」，上下句體可說是板腔體的「前身」。板腔體以板式的多樣變化為突出特徵，這也是板腔體與上下句體的主要界限。曲牌體聲腔中雖然早已有板式變化，但由於音樂缺乏自主等原因，不具備孕育板腔體的必要條件。儘管上下句體出現甚早，但板腔體最初形成的時間目前只能上推到清乾隆時。

Besides Qupai system（曲牌體） and Banqiang system（板腔體）, there are also Xiaoqu system（小曲體） and Shangxiaju System（上下句體） in the musical structure of traditional Chinese opera. Xiaoqu system and Shangxiaju system are the most original and simplest musical structure in the traditional opera: Xiaoqu system might be the predecessor of the Banqiang system; Shangxiaju system could be considered as the Banqiang system's predecessor. The Banqiang system is characterized by variation of the meter, which is also the main boundary between Banqiang system and Shangxiaju system. Although the variants of the meter have already existed in the Banqiang system in the early time, due to the lack of musical autonomy, which haven't have the necessary conditions to generate Banqiang system. The Shangxiaju system emerged very early, but the formation of Banqiang system could only be traced back to Emperor Qianlong period of Qing dynasty.