what goes into a good melody?

Chords, scales, harmony, melody, etc.
RELATED
PRODUCTS

Post

I tried to search to make sure this hadn't been discussed before, so my apologies if it had and I just suck at using the search feature.

Anyways I've done my best to keep studying music theory, particularly where melody is concerned and something really gets to me. I tend to see melody defined as 'a memorable sequence of notes that is aesthetically pleasing' or something like that. Okay, rather subjective, but isn't most things in life?

So I look up what tends to make a sequence of notes sound pleasing to the human mind, and I've read various stuff, some helpful some not.

But even with that, I still don't get what seperates just some random notes or what I'll oxymoronically call a 'non-melodic melody' from a 'melodic melody'. If the only measure is how pleasing it is, then how can I even begin to tell the difference? Because then what might sound melodic to me might not sound melodic to someone else.

I know that you can't say objectively what is good or bad beyond technical skill as far as art is concerned, So technically speaking, what DOES go into a good melody? Or any melody? And what is the best way to practice making complex, awesome melodies? Or even awesome simple melodies?

Post

Judging from Beethoven's notebooks and the Beatles' demos, it takes lots and lots and lots of rewriting. Judging from their finished works, it takes a blend of repetition with expectations fulfilled and denied -- maybe I should say predictability and surprise. Maybe it's like a good groove -- comfortable repetition of something cool sets things up, surprise provides delightful breaks from it. Variety in pitch and rhythm seem to be great assets, although people have gotten a lot of mileage out of one-note melodies with slight variations for emphasis. Call-and-response is also very useful. Rhyme patterns are also useful; think ABAC for a typical Joe Walsh thing.
Wait... loot _then_ burn? D'oh!

Post

Good melody does not in my experience show to be a property of music theory study. You'll get technical terms for moves such as escape tones, appoggiatura and so forth but these belong to part-writing as a property of harmony and don't really speak to impetus and ideas. I wouldn't recommend looking for something reductive or 'objective technically' from some sentences, actually. I know I'm at a loss.

Post

Katelyn wrote:... If the only measure is how pleasing it is, then how can I even begin to tell the difference? Because then what might sound melodic to me might not sound melodic to someone else...
My advice there is if you can come up with something that you enjoy, chances are someone else will enjoy it too. You're never going to please everyone so the best thing you can do is come up with music you enjoy. At least that way, there's a good chance that if you keep making music you enjoy, those who have enjoyed your previous work will probably like your newer work too. You will start to form 'signatures' in your work over time that make it recognizable as your work. It is those 'signatures' that separate one artist from another even if the style and genre/s are the same. :phones:

Post

I my experience, if you have interiorized a good notion of scales types and their steps ...you'll easily recognize by hearing a few notes the type of scale they're belongs and their respective steps into that grounding scale (Major, Melodic, Minor, Harmonic Minor, etc...)

At that stage you're then capable of creating decent diatonic melodies, the more you've interiorized/acquired, to best and more spontaneous (then likely inspired) job you might do...

Post

As an extension of AusDisciple and Jan's comments here, it's very hard to know what melodic patterns are appealing to the individual person.
Take note of the music that you like Katelyn, and try to study what melodic moves are involved (and the effect of why they interest you).
It sounds already like you have learnt a fair bit about melodic ideas, terminology and practices from the things that you have read.

A quick check on the current UK / USA pop charts shows that the sequences, motifs and steps taken in plenty of tunes there will differ a great deal from those used by the likes of Konono Nº1 and fellow-minded amplified junk musicians.
The way that melody is dealt with in dub reggae (if at all) is very different from the patterns found in huge trance anthems.

Naturally, you can (and maybe should) take melodic ideas from one genre and apply it to a different genre piece, or indeed a cross-genre piece (or non-genre) piece of your own.

It all depends on where you want to go with your music.


Finally, although it is not entirely about melodic ideas, and it is indeed a VERY big book (791 pages!), I'm currently reading and learning a lot of the musical ideas within this:

Image

I would recommend this book to anyone (even those who aren't Beatles fans) because of the clear ideas and great interpretations of why the Beatles used the melodies, chords and musical ideas that they did.

:phones:

Post

Doug1978 wrote:
Image

:phones:
Thank you, check this one out !!!

:)

Post

Besides, talking about melody in terms of say 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' (which I think is a wonderful tune), which can't really be extricated from the chordal basis; vs in terms of a raga, which has no chordal basis; vs a 'Density 21.5' which is quite another vocabulary, we're dealing in different techniques and 'theory'.

So rather than look to book larnin', I recommend your own investigation, observations and draw your own 'theory'. I recommend picking up tunes by ear in service of that understanding.

Post

I theorize 2 characteristics of many good melodies:
First of all, variation of pitch intervals and timing.
Second, the chorus/emotional highpoints go to higher pitches.
Look at Somewhere over the Rainbow, small and large intervals, long and short notes with rests alternated, and chorus rises.

Of course there can be exceptions to the rules.
But its logical that variation of intervals and timing stimulates the mind, because it requires more analysis.
And higher notes denote more excitement because it is higher frequency of vibration and therefore more stimulating.

Just think of how lack of variation of intervals sound like, just practicing scales or childish and boring.
And not rising in pitch. Boring.
My latest crazy track "The Quick Brown Fox sampled the Lazy Dog": http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 4&t=425647
15 Free DIVA Presets: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 8#p5892108

Post

Different motives combined to a phrase and then the phrases combined to a theme. Especially important is "call and response" - you see a similar pattern in Africa where shamans are shouting something and then a - often female - choir responds to it!

Higher notes are indeed often used to underline important words...

Post

This is a "one million dollar question". My answer would be: What are good melodies to YOU? When you have the answers, get them, analyze and dissect them, see how they raise (usually there's an accumulation of tension until reaching the climax, around 2/3 of the time, and then slowly decaying, but this isn't by any means a rule), how they develop, etc.

Personally, one of the finest examples of melody is the Ave Maria of Charles Gounod, which was written over the Prelude in C Major by J S Bach. In spite of being conditioned by the pre-existent piece, Gounod created a wonderful melody, which marries perfectly with the arpeggiated accompaniment.

Another one is also by a french composer, this time Adolphe Adam, and is a Christmas song: Minuit Chrétiens (Oh, Holy Night)
Fernando (FMR)

Post

Tricky-Loops wrote:Different motives combined to a phrase and then the phrases combined to a theme. Especially important is "call and response" - you see a similar pattern in Africa where shamans are shouting something and then a - often female - choir responds to it!

Higher notes are indeed often used to underline important words...
Actually, it's not like that. Motives are developed, not combined in phrases. Periods are combined in phrases, and you usually have them in pairs, the first one with an open ending (usually in the dominant), and the second one with the first period equal to the one of the first phrases, and the second one being a close, ending in the tonic. This all together forms a theme, although the term theme may be used with other meanings.

Pop songs usually are built this way, but personally I don't think the best melodies are these. My favourite songs, actually, are built with single phrases repeated, in a crescendo made by the arrangement (like Bridge Over Troubled Water, or My Sweet Lord). Vangelis also uses this technique most of the time.
Last edited by fmr on Sun Nov 23, 2014 10:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Fernando (FMR)

Post

Another important point is that a good melody has enough repetition, so that the listener can get familiar with it, and enough variation to grab the listener's attention. To achieve this balance is the most difficult thing. Most melodies nowadays are too repetitive because it's so easy to copy the same loop in your DAW over and over...

Post

If you want a formula, here is one possible:

Verse: Be sparing with high notes, save them for the chorus where you use them for impact.
So isn't the verse boring with no high notes? The way to make the verse still interesting is to use variation of pitch intervals and timing to make up for the lack of pitch climb.

Chorus: Use more dynamic range in pitch, and soaring rises and high notes for impact.

Bridge: Like the Verse, don't go too high in pitch. Try to radically change the pitch intervals and timing to give some variation and interest from the Verse.

You might be surprised how many songs align to this structure..
My latest crazy track "The Quick Brown Fox sampled the Lazy Dog": http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 4&t=425647
15 Free DIVA Presets: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 8#p5892108

Post

fmr wrote:
Tricky-Loops wrote:Different motives combined to a phrase and then the phrases combined to a theme. Especially important is "call and response" - you see a similar pattern in Africa where shamans are shouting something and then a - often female - choir responds to it!

Higher notes are indeed often used to underline important words...
Actually, it's not like that. Motives are developed, not combined in phrases. Periods are combined in phrases, and you usually have them in pairs, the first one with an open ending (usually in the dominant), and the second one with the first period equal to the one of the first phrases, and the second one being a close, ending in the tonic. This all together forms a theme, although the term theme may be used with other meanings.

Pop songs usually are built this way, but personally I don't think the best melodies are these. My favourite songs, actually, are built with single phrases repeated, in a crescendo made by the arrangement (like Bridge Over Troubled Water, or My Sweet Lord). Vangelis also uses this technique most of the time.
Maybe that's because you're trained in CLASSICAL music. I learned about motives, phrases and themes, I didn't learn about (classical) periods...

Post Reply

Return to “Music Theory”