Questions tagged [melody]
A succession of notes which comprise the principal part in harmonized music.
286
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1answer
57 views
How to smoothly change between vastly different melodies [closed]
I'm starting a Concerto(Piano) and all of the problems I have come across are A: regarding the orchestration(this is my first orchestral piece) and B: the 2 subjects of the first sonata movement are ...
4
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3answers
76 views
On Schumann posthumous variation V's note on a natural G or a flat G
This shows the first two bars of Schumann posthumous variations V.
Look at this music note (red-squared), I am curious to know why Schumann chose a natural G instead of the original flat G in this ...
5
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4answers
754 views
Should melody avoid nonchord tones since they are disonant?
Should nonchord tones be avoided since they are "dissonant"?
3
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2answers
76 views
Why might two jumps in contrary motion be avoided? [duplicate]
The goal is to write a well-constructed and easily singable melody. There is a motif in my melody that outlines a C major triad like this: E4 G4 C4 (in that order). Why might it not be wise to have ...
8
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2answers
272 views
What techniques and methods govern how melody can suggest a certain harmony?
In The Art of Strict Musical Composition, Volume 2 chapter 3, by Johann Philip Kirnberger (student of Bach) he writes “Here it must be stated first that every good melody is based on a proper harmony, ...
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5answers
298 views
How do rhythm and melody compete and cooperate to define the horizontal space of music?
I have some conceptual trouble understanding the differences between rhythm and melody.
I get that harmony is the vertical dimension of music (thinking in terms of sheet music or a piano roll view in ...
4
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3answers
119 views
What's it called when you play the same exact melody with a different rhythm?
As an example, here is the original iconic melodic phrase that's used throughout the Trails Sky games:
https://youtube.com/embed/3GB-xej4GFc?start=66&end=85
But here in this next piece, the exact ...
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35 views
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2answers
62 views
What characteristics of a piece contribute to defining its tonal centre?
I have been wondering since a long time that what exactly in a piece defines the scale and the tonal center. Even if we are given a chord progression that is followed through the entirety of the song, ...
0
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2answers
95 views
Why is (vocal) melody usually written in quarter notes? [closed]
While writing melody, I was trying to stretch short verses into 16 bars by using too many whole and half notes, and now I think it was equal to having tempo at half speed. Most melody is written with ...
2
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2answers
71 views
In Hindemith's terms, how do I classify this melodic gesture?
I am attempting to analyze the G note in the melody pictured below using Paul Hindemith's terminology/framework set out in his Book 2.
From what I can gather, the melodic formulae Hindemith is ...
1
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1answer
114 views
Interpolating two melodies into a single melody
I have been experimenting with an algorithmic/mathematical approach to combine two melodies into a single, new melody and want to ask if there are other approaches to this problem.
Example combination ...
1
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3answers
113 views
Homophony vs Polyphony
Would I be correct if I were to define homophony vs polyphony as chords vs lines? If homophony is defined as a single melody with chordal accompaniment, and polyphony as several melodies with equal ...
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2answers
222 views
What is the relation of proportional schemes and the “golden section” to melody?
...And how is this reduction meant to be read? Taken from p. 66 of David Neumeyer's The Music of Paul Hindemith
This is the beginning of the section on analyzing melodies, and it totally blindsided ...
7
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2answers
484 views
Creating chord-melody from The Real Book (or other fake book)
I practice songs from The Real Book, and I am quite new to the chord-melody concept. I have knowledge of scales and chords, and I can play melodically these standards. Now I want to play them as chord-...
5
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5answers
167 views
Why does Hindemith say to avoid augmented and diminished intervals?
Rule 12 of Paul Hindemith's Craft of Musical Composition - Book 2 states the following:
Avoid augmented and diminished intervals. If, after an augmented or a diminished interval, the third tone is ...
3
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2answers
61 views
When learning how to write a good melody is it more important to analyze the notes against the bass or against the chord?
When looking at a score of a song I have always looked at a melody against the notes of the chord root but recently I started learning counterpoint and I feel that I may have overlooked the importance ...
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6answers
96 views
In major keys, since the 7th scale degree resolves up to the 8th, does descending through the scale degrees 8-7-6 violate the leading tone rule?
I need to understand how the leading tone (7th scale degree) functions in major keys.
I see that the 7th scale degree (leading tone) resolves up to the 8th (the tonic) because the leading tone is a ...
2
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2answers
57 views
Complex chord progression (secondary dominants) with simple step-wise melody?
In many musical pieces, complex harmonic relations can be identified in the chord progression even when the melody can intuitively be "felt" to progress in a very simple step-wise manner.
...
8
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1answer
226 views
How to apply Paul Hindemith's harmonic theory
I have been studying Paul Hindemith's "The Craft of Musical Composition, Book 1: Theory", trying to apply Hindemith's principles to my own harmonies and melodies.
As you may know, Hindemith'...
0
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0answers
21 views
Is there a database of tunes searchable by interval? [duplicate]
It's a common technique to use familiar tunes to remind ourselves how intervals sound.
Recently in a zoom rehearsal we were talking about octave leaps and between us came up with the common octave ...
3
votes
2answers
106 views
How to find out the pitch of a melody in Ableton live 10?
I have a sample that plays 4 chords. I have no idea what their key/pitch is. I've tried using the tuner audio effect but it doesn't say anything at all. Does anyone know an alternate way to find the ...
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2answers
81 views
Harmonizing a modulating melody with ornamentations
I've been self studying Tchaikovsky's harmony textbook and supplementing it with harmonizing melodies from Anton Arensky's "1000 tasks for the practical study of harmony" and I've run into ...
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4answers
106 views
Music construction kit from some great mind
Quite some years ago in school, a teacher told us about a music construction kit.
The kit is a set of cards.
If you put some cards together, something musically / esthetically sound is the result.
...
3
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3answers
110 views
Which one makes a melody more noticeable, playing it an octave above the chords or below the chords?
On a midi keyboard/piano, if I play both the chords and the vocal melody at the same time. How do you make the melody sound more prominent than the chords?
In general, which makes the melody more ...
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8answers
3k views
Does the starting note for a song have to be the starting note of its scale?
Does a scale always have to start off with the note it is named after? For example, the Dm scale is defgab♭cd`. If I wanted to sing a song in D minor, would I have to start with the note D? Or could ...
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0answers
40 views
Name of Song this jazz melody comes from [closed]
Can someone please tell me the name of the song this melody can be heard? comes from some hard bop tune in the 70's or something I don't know
https://musescore.com/scores/unknown/unknown-...
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3answers
132 views
Is one major and one minor scale instrument enough to play any melody?
If I buy a diatonic harmonica, I can play one octave of a major scale and its relative minor properly. Is that enough to play any melody by transcribing to the key of my harmonica?
1
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1answer
88 views
How can I achieve the ability of playing the music's melody right after listening to it? [duplicate]
Recently I bought a new guitar for myself. After having a basic course, I can play some simple songs like Auld Lang Syne, and I've started wondering this question:
If I had such ability, I may learn a ...
3
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4answers
148 views
Is there a term for the combination of melody and harmony, excluding percussion?
I am working with a simple sound generator, which can simultaneously produce multiple sine waves plus white noise. The sine waves can have their frequency and volume modified over time, and the white ...
3
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3answers
91 views
Keyscales & Melodies
I'm fairly new to learning music theory at a basic level. I understand notes, triads, intervals and how to read sheet music but I am struggling to understand key scales and how and when they apply and ...
8
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4answers
403 views
How to choose chords for chromatic melody?
I've been listening to a lot of impressionistic and avant-garde jazz music lately. When choosing chords in a tonal, diatonic concept, the formula is somewhat clear to me. If it's a note in the scale, ...
6
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1answer
692 views
What is the terminology for these two techniques on piano?
Disclaimer: I don't know music terminology, as I don't play any instruments.
The channel Sheet Music Boss on YouTube has two videos in which I've heard what I perceive to be two different techniques ...
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4answers
188 views
Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar [closed]
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Stratocaster
Is Fender Stratocaster electric guitar mostly used by leading guitarists in english pop music songs?
Is it difficult for a amateur to learn & ...
0
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7answers
157 views
Name two reasons why the music in the next passage starts in C Major and ends in G major?
Please help with the question in the title. I am struggling so much, thank you.
Why?
3
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3answers
729 views
Which note to start the melody on?
I am trying to learn to play melodies by ear. I was trying to play Twinkle Twinkle by ear. Justin Guitar taught that a melody can be played anywhere on the fretboard and when I tried to do so, I found ...
0
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2answers
170 views
How does James Bay's song Let it Go sound sad in a Major key? [duplicate]
If you listen to James Bay's - Let it Go, it sounds sad yet written in major key. In general, not just for this song, what in theory makes this happen?
I've read people suggesting flat majors make a ...
0
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7answers
179 views
What are ways to emphasize a rhythm/time signatures without drums?
What are some ways a song without drums can indicate the rhythm/time signature through the melody or chord progression? It seems that when drums are involved, they play a certain beat over and over ...
1
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2answers
169 views
How was “Last Train Home” composed? [closed]
I'm interested in learning how this song is composed. Specifically I'm interested in understanding how such a song could be created from scratch.
Typically what I've been told is that most music first ...
0
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2answers
115 views
What scale is the melody in the song? [closed]
I was wondering if this song was in major or minor key. I am new to analyzing music and so I am having a hard time trying to figure out the melody, or how to describe it rather.
This is the song link:
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2answers
77 views
What is it called when the vocal parts move to the harmony above
What is it called when there's 3 part harmony, and each part goes to the part above them(the highest part goes to the octave above the lowest part)? For example, in this video: at 1:16, the highest ...
2
votes
3answers
312 views
Can I use two minor scales in the same song? [duplicate]
I've been composing a song, using the chord progression Am - G#° - Dm7/A - E (i - VII - iv - V), that is using the Harmonic minor scale.
The song has some melodies, that appear in different parts. The ...
2
votes
2answers
111 views
Tips for hearing/transcribing a piano riff?
I recently came across a song with a synth riff that I want to learn to play on the piano. It's the riff played throughout this video (from 0:17)
I can roughly follow the overall melody but what I'm ...
4
votes
3answers
464 views
Rhythmic/Metric Stress Patterns
The attached images are a page from Jack Perricone's Melody in Songwriting. I am familiar with the concept of stress patterns in music, but, honestly, have no idea what the hell he's on about here.
...
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5answers
121 views
Melodies vs. Harmonies
Any recommendations on how to distinguish melodies from the harmony of a song? When listening to certain songs it seems as if the chord progression is acting as the melody of the song.
Can a chord ...
0
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1answer
68 views
How to use melody/chord voicings to transition between chords and resolve
For now, I'm not super serious about actually writing/recording music, so my question is more focused on general techniques for ending parts of a piece while doing improvisation/noodling around on the ...
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1answer
100 views
Can I learn chromesthesia? [closed]
With enough repetition and practice, can I condition myself to associate colors with certain pitches?
Note: I am talking about a relative pitch here, within a certain key . . . so assigning colors to ...
6
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2answers
244 views
Does voice doubling an instrument's melody while improvising have a name?
According to wikipedia, scat singing is:
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless
vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all.[2][3] In scat
singing, the singer ...
2
votes
1answer
194 views
Help understanding tendency tones
What should I be listening for when trying to understand tendency tones? From what I understand, unstable tones ‘resolve’ into a specific stable tone, but I’m having trouble hearing these resolutions ...
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3answers
514 views
How many semitones should I change to change melody but same chord
I want to sing a song in different melody but use the same chord. How many semitones should I increase/ decrease so that I won't sound out of tune with people singing in the original melody?
