Although the abbreviated format using san-dan-yon-setsu (three sections and four measures) is widely used, yon-dan-go-setsu (four sections and five measures) is used formally for kamigakari (Kanze and Hosho schools) and go-dan-roku-setsu (five sections and six measures) for shimogakari (Konparu, Kongo and Kita schools) (either of which is called go-dan (five sections)).
三段四節の省略形式が一般的になっているが、上掛（観世・宝生）では四段五節、下掛（金春・金剛・喜多）では五段六節が正式（どちらも五段と称する）である。