Tips For Practicing Writing Melodies

[AngelCityOutlaw]

The best way to learn how to write strong melodies is to start by omitting the pitch entirely and just focusing on the rhythm.

A melody is a sequence of notes (usually in 12 tone equal temperament in Western music), so without pitch it is not a melody.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of composers throughout the ages would disagree about ignoring pitch being the best way to learn composition.

I'm certain that most composers and music theorists through the ages would agree that melody is the combination of varied pitch and rhythm.

I'm also sure that most would agree that rhythm is an essential component of a good melody or tune, and one that is sorely lacking in a lot of modern music. Thus, it is a good place to "start", given that is the least-complicated aspect, as I said in my post you only quoted a snippet of, and misconstrued.

Start at 40 seconds:

https://youtu.be/Cvl84p7IRxs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kihzlWsB4k

[Forgotten]

I'm certain that most composers and music theorists through the ages would agree that melody is the combination of varied pitch and rhythm.

It is, but the OP asked for tips to practice writing melodies, and you suggested "The best way to learn how to write strong melodies is to start by omitting the pitch entirely", which makes it rhythm only and no longer a melody

I'm also sure that most would agree that rhythm is an essential component of a good melody or tune, and one that is sorely lacking in a lot of modern music. Thus, it is a good place to "start", given that is the least-complicated aspect, as I said in my post you only quoted a snippet of, and misconstrued

Rhythm can't be missing from music or you would have notes that have pitch but no duration; and I don't see that it follows that it's good to start with rhythm and ignore pitch, nor that it's the least complicated aspect of composition.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a sizable number of teachers who would try to teach composition and tell students to start by ignoring the pitch of the notes.

[AngelCityOutlaw]

I'm certain that most composers and music theorists through the ages would agree that melody is the combination of varied pitch and rhythm.

It is, but the OP asked for tips to practice writing melodies, and you suggested "The best way to learn how to write strong melodies is to start by omitting the pitch entirely", which makes it rhythm only and no longer a melody

So, would you also suggest to someone wanting to learn how they can draw portraits not to master simple shapes or break it down into much simpler drawings first because it is not yet a portrait? Would you also say, that someone who wants to learn how to play something by Dream Theater, should not bother first learning "Mary Had A Little Lamb" because it is not Dream Theater?

How do you not see the connection between the start and end points of the method I suggest the OP take? How is this anything other creating what is to become a melody? You're basically suggesting that primordial stages of a creation are irrelevant.

Rhythm can't be missing from music or you would have notes that have pitch but no duration

Inaccurate in any practical sense. The perception of rhythm only exists if the note is contrasted against another duration, whether that is silence or if the note is re-articulated against itself.

So technically speaking, if you were to hold a drone indefinitely, you could say that it's an infinite number of whole notes or whatever rhythm, but literally nobody thinks this way — certainly not laymen.

But much like the subject of whether or not drones can be counted as "music", it's completely irrelevant to the point.

If we compare our suggestions to the OP, they look like this:

You could always write melodies for the right hand part and a chordal accompaniment for the left hand part. Piano is one of the best instruments out there for melodic composition.

You have suggested that the OP simply DO the thing he is asking to achieve.

I am suggesting that if the OP wants to practice writing melodies, he could start by tapping out a good rhythm for the phrase, and then adding the pitch to that phrase after the fact.

Unless you have some argument beyond semantics as to why this method of practice is somehow invalid, I think you're arguing just for the sake of it.

[datroof]

I use Reaper's Reatune to hum melodies into the mic and record them into midi in real time

+1. I'd recommend singing to improvise/compose melodies - your voice should be a familiar instrument. Record yourself. You can sing along with anything - there's no right or wrong. Probably good to keep it simple at first - long notes are fine. Then embellish to taste. If you want to exercise your ears a tiny bit, try 'manually' transferring what you've sung to MIDI (using your favorite MIDI device).

[datroof]

I use Reaper's Reatune to hum melodies into the mic and record them into midi in real time

+1. I'd recommend singing to improvise/compose melodies - your voice should be a familiar instrument. Record yourself. You can sing along with anything - there's no right or wrong. Probably good to keep it simple at first - long notes are fine. Then embellish to taste. If you want to exercise your ears a tiny bit, try 'manually' transferring what you've sung to MIDI (using your favorite MIDI device).

[datroof]

Stupid buttons!

[Forgotten]

You have suggested that the OP simply DO the thing he is asking to achieve.

I am suggesting that if the OP wants to practice writing melodies, he could start by tapping out a good rhythm for the phrase, and then adding the pitch to that phrase after the fact.

Unless you have some argument beyond semantics as to why this method of practice is somehow invalid, I think you're arguing just for the sake of it.

I didn't make any suggestions at all that the OP do anything, and you didn't suggest that he could start by tapping out a melody, you said:

"The best way to learn how to write strong melodies is to start by omitting the pitch entirely"

Also, my argument has nothing to do with semantics - I questioned the validity of your advice as it goes completely against convention for learning to compose.

[AngelCityOutlaw]

You have suggested that the OP simply DO the thing he is asking to achieve.

I am suggesting that if the OP wants to practice writing melodies, he could start by tapping out a good rhythm for the phrase, and then adding the pitch to that phrase after the fact.

Unless you have some argument beyond semantics as to why this method of practice is somehow invalid, I think you're arguing just for the sake of it.

I didn't make any suggestions at all that the OP do anything, and you didn't suggest that he could start by tapping out a melody, you said:

"The best way to learn how to write strong melodies is to start by omitting the pitch entirely"

Also, my argument has nothing to do with semantics - I questioned the validity of your advice as it goes completely against convention for learning to compose.

No, what I said was:

The best way to learn how to write strong melodies is to start by omitting the pitch entirely and just focusing on the rhythm.

Super Mario, Star Wars, etc. are all identifiable just by their rhythm.

Once you have that down, the next step is learning to create a motiv and then structure it into sentence/period form, and focus on only having one highest and lowest point that is not repeated in a phrase to create a pleasing contour.

Writing melodies is akin to writing sentences, or lines of poetry; just with notes on an instrument instead of words.

You saw one line you disagreed with because at that stage it isn't technically a melody and used that to "question the validity" of the advice, while completely ignoring the rest of it.

Lastly, a good way of practicing composition is to just keep composing. Try to write an 8 or 16 bar tune everyday and try to incorporate some new concept you've learned if you can. Not every piece needs to or can be a masterpiece, but every piece brings you one step closer.

I use Reaper's Reatune to hum melodies into the mic and record them into midi in real time

+1. I'd recommend singing to improvise/compose melodies - your voice should be a familiar instrument. Record yourself. You can sing along with anything - there's no right or wrong. Probably good to keep it simple at first - long notes are fine. Then embellish to taste. If you want to exercise your ears a tiny bit, try 'manually' transferring what you've sung to MIDI (using your favorite MIDI device).

This is also good.

[Forgotten]

you said:

"The best way to learn how to write strong melodies is to start by omitting the pitch entirely"

No, what I said was:

The best way to learn how to write strong melodies is to start by omitting the pitch entirely

I'm not sure it's me that's arguing for the sake of arguing...

[donkey tugger]

Never did Lou Reed any harm.

[jancivil]

you said:

"The best way to learn how to write strong melodies is to start by omitting the pitch entirely"

I questioned the validity of your advice as it goes completely against convention for learning to compose.

No, what I said was:v The best way to learn how to write strong melodies is to start by omitting the pitch entirely and just focusing on the rhythm.

Melodies might or might not have a totally recognizable rhythm or contour in time. If it is a fact that this old game jingle may be recognizable just from its rhythm or it isn't, whether its melody is memorable as a melody is quite another matter. It's a matter of familiarity; and the extent at which this would work (I don't know it, I don't play games like that) will have something to do with how the audience member's mind absorbs music, I mean the fidelity of record/playback basically. Also, in itself a sticky tune or earwig is no sign of a good melody, not in how I consider it anyways. I was watching a film the other day which used a pop song which instantly stuck. I don't know how simple it is that it did/does. But I resented it because I didn't want that mediocre-ass tune in my head and I knew I didn't as soon as it starts. Then we have to consider how exposed we are to the tune as part of why it sticks. It was a rather ubiquitous song at one time.

I was a drummer before I wrote melodies. I moved to a melodic instrument because drums are not where it's at for melody.

The goalpost here: "the_best_way" to learn how to write_strong_melodies is to omit pitch and just write rhythm.
Well that's your viewpoint but being so strenuous about that as some truism is a bit much. I find the assertion so wanting as to be a bit absurd. A good melody is acheivable in that rhythm may be recognizable, through itself, just doesn't follow. So it can't he the best way to learn it. It may be part of a path to it, but as a truism somehow it doesn't follow from anything except the strength of your belief in your own statement.

Me, I developed a knack for thinking melodically. It did_not come to me as a drummer, I got it via osmosis learning melodies transcribing and playing extant music. I got my ear together singing things off records on the way to finding notes on instruments. Pitch is not omittable in this process and I have good confidence in my abilities which developed thru quite other than the way you have put to us. Rhythm may be a cue, I'm not sure it is per se.

[lobanov]

1. Just start writing melodies.
Find a good melodic motion (3-4 notes) or cool soundig interval. Then try to expand it. Add notes, change rythm etc.

2. Sometimes a good synth patch IS a melody. I don't mean arpeggios or something like this. The sound itself dictates the melody. If you change the patch all corrupts. Not entirely but... I don't know why but this sometimes works. But I understand why people recommend to use piano or guitar. Such melodies are "pure".

3. Learn harmony.
Any banal melody with a cool harmony can become a good melody. Cool melodies by themselves are rare beasts. Harmony rules.

4. Learn partitures, scores, MIDI versions of songs etc. Read books about the art of composition and musical forms.

[lobanov]

4.2. Play songs or music you like.

5. Take care of your physical and emotional condition. Search for impressions, may be. If you have nothing to say you say nothing.

[datroof]

Me, I developed a knack for thinking melodically. It did_not come to me as a drummer, I got it via osmosis learning melodies transcribing and playing extant music. I got my ear together singing things off records on the way to finding notes on instruments.

Very cool. I've heard you say before that you're very melody-oriented, more than the harmony/chords/changes side. I'm almost the opposite - I've always 'heard' chords, it's almost always been changes that grab me more than melody. As such, a lot of my focus has always been writing melodies to go with existing changes. I've always liked that, and it's a bit of jazz tradition to have a million tunes/melodies based on the same changes.

I've noticed that former-drummers are often very good musicians (I think there's a joke hidden in there). This is a good example - the flautist on this piece is a former timbale player, and his rhythmic precision is impressive. And he's an interesting contrast with trumpet player, also a great player, but with a little looser rhythmic approach - maybe not a former drummer.

https://soundcloud.com/datroof/san-pedro

[teacue]

Before trying to write melodies it makes sense to be able to hear something inside oneself.
Also before writing instrumental melodies it is usefull to be able to write melodies which have to be sung.

Build a foundation.
It will take some time, at least several months.
But after one year of intensive and regularly work you should get a solid feeling for melody and you should be able to hear and create your own melodies without relying on AI software.

Choose a genre or a singer you love if you want to specialize yourself to a specific genre.
Better is to choose several genres and singers.
Choose "good" songs with "good" melodies in each genre
In my view this is a very important step because it will influence your hearing.
Do not choose too generic or too simple songs but also not too complicated, abstract or extravagant songs.
Hear and sing the songs regularly (every day)
Usefull is to choose songs which can be easily played with a guitar or a piano, songs which do not rely on any complex arrangement.
This way Melody and Harmony are clearly distinguable and can be better memorized

Here a list of genres and singers that may help.
Disclaimer: I am of course aware how extremely subjective this list is, and also not really modern!
Well I am a old man but I am sure that in these list one can find a lot of great melodies to learn from.

1. French Chanson
Charles Trenet
Jean Ferrat
Barbara
Yves Duteil

2. Folk (or so)
Bob Dylan
Donovan
Leonard Cohen
Cat Stevens
(I would like to add Nick Drake but he is definitively too complicated)

3. Jazz
Nat King Cole
Frank Sinatra
Antonio Carlos Jobim (quite difficult but great)

4. Classic
Bach (all Orchestra Suiten)
Vivaldi
Mozart
Beethoven (all symphonies)
Rachmaninov

It is indeed very usefull to learn to sing or whistle some classic pieces, though it can be difficult.
But also only hearing them regularly is helpfull.

5. Songs for Children and Folk Songs
All the songs for children your mother/father has (or should have) sung for you including Lullabies are great.
Folk songs also are a great source for well build and solid melodies.
I am french and there are a lot of very lovely songs for children, french folk songs are also a great source.
Living in Germany I had to deal a lot with german Volkslieder, they have a very unique quality, sometimes a little bit dark but beautifull.

Practice
Learn to sing as much songs as you can.
It is even better if you can learn to accompany these songs when you sing either with a guitar, a piano or an accordion.
It is also important that you enjoy this when you do it, so you better choose songs you really like
Sing together with friends also.
But it will not be enough to do this a few times with a few songs and only a few weeks.
It needs a lot of time to train your brain, your memory and your emotions.
If you take 2 new songs per week you could learn 8 songs within a month and 96 within a year.
That is quite a lot!
Doing this will provide you with a great solid foundation and you will be able to "hear" and create a lot of new melodies. And even if you are not able to write them down (this can be learned too) at least you will "hear" your melodies.