Must a melody end with the root note of the scale ?

[nighteye]

First i have little knowledge of music theory, and read about your melody should contain the root key of the scale used.
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So my question:
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* When playing a melody is it a must to end it with the root note of the Scale your using. Eg. using the "C" scale should my melody always end in the "C" key ?

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* I use pad at times, can I play a melody with keys in the scale of the next chord in the chord progression I'm using, and not ending it with the root of that scale since the pad already contains the root.
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Thanks for your response.

[cryophonik]

No. You can actually have a melody that never plays the root note.

[Tricky-Loops]

You *can* use cadences but you don't have to. In fact, if you're looping a melody that ends always with the root note and starts with the root note, it sounds pretty strange...

[nighteye]

I can't do a direct reply on my mobile so bear with me.

First, thanx for your response..
What led me to this question is me having the mindset that a melody must always end in a root note.

I always play a melody and then start rearranging it so that it starts and end with the root note, it always sounds totally different from the original melody I played and also sound(bad) not so cool to me.

[RickRASTER]

Remember, Music "Theory" is only theory. Much like scientific theories, they aren't always true but are relatively true through tried and tested methodology. Music theory is a little more open though. I like to say music theory helps to explain what we are already doing.

If it sounds fine and others agree it sounds fine then you're probably fine. You might not have the theory skills to analyze it yet.

In some cases you will want the melody to end on the root note, usually in classical harmony. In general to create a sense of "completion" you will want to end on the root note chord... EX: C Major, ending on a C Major chord. That means the melody could contain C, E, or G (and B if you want the 7th) as the last note. You will have a more "complete" sense of ending if the top note is the root (C for our example).

The relationship between your chord progression and melody are also extremely important. A melody can imply many different chords. Simply playing the note C doesn't tell me anything other than the possibilities. The notes before and after will strongly influence the tonality as well as the choices to you make when writing your chord progression/melody. The bottom note of a chord will have the strongest harmonic pull to our ears.

(In C Major)You could have C as your last note in the melody but F as the bass note and you would be implying a IV (F Major) chord which wouldn't sound much like an ending. C as the bass note will have the strongest sound of "completion". E in the bass could imply a 1st inversion, and G in the bass could imply a 2nd Inversion. Generally inversions don't sound very complete and it is best to end your song with the root in the bass.

[Sendy]

No, but you should probably end on a chord tone, or a dissonance which will be resolved by the next chord.

Having a melody end on the 2nd degree and not resolve usually gives an anguished or yearning feel.

[nighteye]

Thanks to all who took their time to respond to my question.

RickRASTER:
- You will have a more
"complete" sense of ending if the top note is the
root (C for our example)

What do you mean by top note in the above statement? Got all you said except that.

[fmr]

First of all, I'd like to say that there is no "music theory" I'm aware of that talks about melody - much because melody is (only) one of the dimensions of music (even if sometimes a very important one), and, contrary to rhythm and harmony, there aren't really many rules that a melody must follow, since it is very much an intuitive process, mainly ruled by the tradition and the cultural memories one have.

Some theorists that studied closely this subject defended that melody is very much tighten to the native speaking language of the composer, which means that each language has it's own strong syllables and tonal inflexions, and the melodies usually follow those patterns, even when they are not meant to be sung (after all, a melody is singing by nature).

Regarding your question, just follow what you naturally hear in your mind - if it feels right it has to be right. Don't bother which degree you start or end, as long as it makes sense in itself - try to sing and see if it fits well.

From all the dimensions of music, melody is the most natural, and trying to rationalize it will probably destroy it.

[nighteye]

Thank you.

[RickRASTER]

Thanks to all who took their time to respond to my question.

RickRASTER:
- You will have a more
"complete" sense of ending if the top note is the
root (C for our example)

What do you mean by top note in the above statement? Got all you said except that.

Generally there is more to a song than a melody, in this case I'm talking about chords. The melody doesn't have to be one note at a time either. Chords and melodies are intertwined in my head so while I see the melody horizontally I see the chords vertically, both working together to create different tonalities.

So... Top note = the highest note being played.

[fmr]

Thanks to all who took their time to respond to my question.

RickRASTER:
- You will have a more
"complete" sense of ending if the top note is the
root (C for our example)

What do you mean by top note in the above statement? Got all you said except that.

Generally there is more to a song than a melody, in this case I'm talking about chords. The melody doesn't have to be one note at a time either. Chords and melodies are intertwined in my head so while I see the melody horizontally I see the chords vertically, both working together to create different tonalities.

So... Top note = the highest note being played.

Not necessarily. Chords need a melody, but a melody doesn't need chords. People made music for centuries without chords, and even now, folk tunes in many regions are sing without chords. And you can play a solo flute, violin, or cello, and create great music without any chords.

BTW - Melody is always one note at a time. You probably meant that it doesn't have to be "one note per chord, or per beat", but I would withdrawn harmony form this context completely - see my statement above

[RickRASTER]

Thanks to all who took their time to respond to my question.

RickRASTER:
- You will have a more
"complete" sense of ending if the top note is the
root (C for our example)

What do you mean by top note in the above statement? Got all you said except that.

Generally there is more to a song than a melody, in this case I'm talking about chords. The melody doesn't have to be one note at a time either. Chords and melodies are intertwined in my head so while I see the melody horizontally I see the chords vertically, both working together to create different tonalities.

So... Top note = the highest note being played.

Not necessarily. Chords need a melody, but a melody doesn't need chords. People made music for centuries without chords, and even now, folk tunes in many regions are sing without chords. And you can play a solo flute, violin, or cello, and create great music without any chords.

BTW - Melody is always one note at a time. You probably meant that it doesn't have to be "one note per chord, or per beat", but I would withdrawn harmony form this context completely - see my statement above

You're right about melody being "one note at a time" but I feel it limits your thinking when it comes time to write a melody.

I suppose I'm using the word chords loosely when I mean harmony...
Chords do not need a melody though, but often create them. Musical genres are vast and all do it differently. There is no requirement that makes something a song. That's just what art is, always up for interpretation.

I can sing the ABCs, it doesn't require chords but it implies specific chords (harmony). If you are dealing with pitch you are dealing with the implication of chords and tonality. Same with the folk tunes, cello suites, solo violins, they all imply a chord structure to which is often interpreted by the player and sometimes very strict, especially when dealing with classical harmony. The melody often outlines the chord which will best fit.

When you're not dealing with pitch and only rhythm then that's a different story.

If I have a melody in 8th or 16th notes and playing C, D, E, C, D, E, C, G, I'm implying a C major chord. I may not have an underlying chord playing with it but you can't deny the interrelatedness of Melody and Harmony.

[JC_]

fmr is right on the money about trusting your ear. I used to worry about the "theory" while creating and it just slowed me down. If you aren't sure about something, you could try letting someone else you trust hear it and see what they think. Theory is great to learn though, I just think that it should not be something that takes you out of the creative mood.

The easiest way to start to do things is probably just stick with C Major scale and when you are playing your melody, all the white keys are fair game (play what sounds good to you). Feel free to post stuff here as well.

[rod_zero]

Music theory, specially corcerning how melodies and chord progressions should resolve, are guidlines for you to use, not unbreakable rules.

[nighteye]

So,
music theory is good, but don't be tied down by the rules.

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