Melody

Western Art Music places equal emphasis on both the melodic flow of each voice or part, also called a line, and on the harmonic flow and function of all of the voices put together. This forms a kind of grid, where each note functions in both ways simultaneously. This makes this type of music interesting to listen to, but also makes it difficult to compose. Whether composing contemporary music, listening to a Beethoven symphony or playing Bass Guitar in a Ska band, by understanding how music functions both horizontally (line) and vertically (harmony), one can better appreciate and create music of nearly all styles.

If each line of music is interesting and has a smooth flow, chances are that the whole work will be also. So what are some of the traits of a "good melody"? Although this varies from style to style, by studying the refined principles of common practice melodies, an understanding of the principles that govern them can be applied to other styles as well.

Basic Melodic Principles

A good melody, like a good house, has a solid basic framework. This is then embellished and refined to create more interest. When creating a melody, composers often start with a rhythmically simple line according to the following guidelines, then add the embellishments later. A full understanding of common practice melodic guidelines is essential for writing and understanding these melodies.

1) Rhythm - keep it simple to start with. A good guideline is one note per beat or pulse.

2) Contour - this is the shape of the line. Usually, there is only one highest or lowest note, called the peak. If the peak note is repeated, it looses it's effect, so it is important to have only one peak to your contour. Where should the peak occur? Although there is an infinite number of variations, there are several basic contours that melodic lines generally follow:

a) Arch - the most popular contour. Begins lower, works its way up to a high point between around or just after the midpoint of the melody, then falls back to a lower ending note. All of the following are arch contour melodies:





An Inverted Arch contour simply flips this shape upside-down, with the lowest peak occurring only once.



b) Ramp - Melodies often save the high or low peak for the last note, for a more climactic ending. An ascending ramp contour begins at or near the lowest not, and gradually and continually works it's way up to the highest peak. a descending ramp contour reverses this, beginning with the higher point, and ending with the lowest.

ascending ramp contour


descending ramp contour


Remember, these are simplifications. Melodic lines may briefly zig-zag around these shapes, and sometimes may combine both. This familiar melody has both arch contours and descending ramps:



It is important to note, however, that lines without a contour often sound dull and seem to just "noodle around" on a few notes. Compare the above melodies to the following, and see which is the more interesting:



3) A Smooth Connected Line - Our ear more easily hears a series of notes as belonging together when they proceed smoothly and without leaps of larger intervals. The following are the main guidelines used in common practice melodic lines:

1. use about 80% step wise motion (i.e. only the interval of a second) and 20% intervals large than a second.
2. avoid using augmented or diminished intervals, as they are harder to sing, play, and hear as belonging together.
3. whenever leaping an interval larger than a fifth, resolve inward by step. (for example, if you leap down a sixth, the next note should resolve up by second.)

4) resolve tendency tones -

1. Scale degree seven has a tendancy to resolve to tonic, unless part of a downward scale passage from tonic to dominant.
2. Scale degree four has a tendancy in Major to resolve down to scale degree three.
3. Chromatically altered pitches should resolve by step (the interval of a second) in the same direction as the alteration. For example, added sharps should resolve upward by step, and added flats should resolve down by step.

Note the examples of the above guidelines in the following two melodies -- the first follows them, and the second does not.

Melody which follows guidelines:


Melody that does not follow guidelines:

Composing a Melody to a Given Harmonic Progression

When composing a melody to fit a harmonic progression, you may wish to follow these simple steps:

• Write the chords below the staff.
• Lightly place dots on the notes that are a part of the chord in the staff above each chord. This will quickly show you what notes are available.
• Starting on tonic or dominant, lightly draw the contour you wish for the melody. Keep it general yet interesting!
• Now that you have completed a sketch, "connect the dots" to form the framework for your melody, keeping close to the contour line, and using only the notes that are parts of the chords. If you hit an area where there does not seem to be any good choices, back up a few notes and choose a different path.

In Section 16: Non-Chord Tones, methods of embellishing this melody will be examined. Section 17: Basic Form and Analysis, use of patterns called motives will be discussed. But for now, try to create more simple, yet attractive sounding melodies. Remember: an ugly melody with lots of embellishments is usually still an ugly melody!

Harmonizing a Melody

The process of adding chords to a pre-existing melody is similar to the above process for composing a melody to fit a harmonic progression. The following is a simple process to compose a harmonic progression to fit a given melody.

• Try to determine what the harmonic pulse is. The harmonic pulse is how often the chords change. In melodies that have faster tempos and melodies that move predominantly by thirds or arpeggiation, the harmonic pulse is frequently a half note or longer. Common harmonic pulses for various meters are shown below. If the melody appears to outline triads over a two beat pattern, then use a two-beat (half note) harmonic pulse. If the tempo is slow and no chords appear to be outlined, than a harmonic pulse of one chord per note may be appropriate. Example - Harmonic pulse
• For each beat of the harmonic pulse, list all possible chords that could contain most if not all of the notes within that beat. For single notes, this will be three possible triads (the note will either be the root, third or fifth of a chord). For beats with more than one note, there may be less, or even only one possible chord for that beat. List all of the possible chords, since you can not know for certain which you may need to use yet.
• When completed, begin at the end, try to compose a harmonic cadence that fits the melody. Complete the last two or three beats.
• Now, beginning on I if the melody begins on a down beat or strong beat, or on V if the melody begins on a weak beat, circle the chords that best form a harmonic progression and connect them with a line. You may have two or more possibilities, but find out three chords later that only one of them will work all the way through. When you hit a "dead end" simply back up two or three chords and choose another possible chord.



melody only:

first harmonization:

second harmonization:

third harmonization:


The next step to completing this process involves composing a bass line to go with this melody and harmony. This requires a full understanding of how chords function when a note other than the root is in the bass, and is the topic of the next section.

Links:

• Next Section: Chords in Inversion
• Table of Contents