Questions tagged [melody]
A succession of notes which comprise the principal part in harmonized music.
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1answer
89 views
Why block consisting of “re” and “fa” notes is classified as chord V?
I am reading this paper: Toward a Musical Analysis of World Music
On page 4 there is this statement:
All of the songs are syllabic and are subject to clear harmony
(prototype degrees [I, V, IV] ...
1
vote
1answer
73 views
How can I identify a tune?
Can anyone steer me to a book or website or smartphone app that will help me find out where a tune is from? I've got an imperfect memory of a tune that I heard years ago and I would love to listen to ...
13
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7answers
3k views
Can chords be inferred from melody alone? [duplicate]
Some vids about arranging on fingerstyle guitar say to figure out the chords first either by ear or through tabs, then to play the melody on top of them. But that seems like too much work. For one, ...
1
vote
1answer
70 views
How to diffrentiate countermelody from arpeggiated accompaniament?
I wonder what would be main difference between arpeggiated accompaniament and counter melody.
Could it be the rule that if it's an arpeggiated accompaniament then it would be more repetitive (because ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
Are fretless stringed instruments used mainly for melody?
Just wondering if fretless stringed instruments like a violin or oud, by fretless does it imply that they are used mainly for melody? In contrast to an instrument like a guitar, that has frets, does ...
2
votes
1answer
43 views
Comparing variable-length pitch contours
Robert Morris defined a contour segment of a set of n pitches as a list of numbers from 0 to n, where each number corresponds to the relative height of its corresponding pitch (for instance, <...
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4answers
171 views
Best method to convert MIDI style data to proper sheet with correct note names? [closed]
What are the best general algorithms to determine the correct notes (with sharp/flat) as they appear on a sheet with only input a MIDI-style data that has only the designation of a white or black key ...
3
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2answers
69 views
How should a melody be treated when switched from right to left hand?
For example, in Chopin's Etude Op 10, No. 4 (Torrent), the melody is initially in the right hand and it's accompanied by the left hand.
A few bars after, the right takes over the same accompaniment ...
2
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0answers
51 views
Intervals when making a tone row - what to keep in mind?
For writing 12 tone or serial music, one generally makes a tone row, and then uses that for constructing a melody. I want to know what would be the maximum range of intervals between any 2 consecutive ...
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0answers
34 views
Aural mnemonics: can we compile a list? [duplicate]
When I do ear training, I like to use mnemonics, in the form of a short snippet from a well-known song, to help me memorize certain aural patterns. I can share some of the ones I have so far, but I ...
6
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2answers
1k views
Chords behaving as a melody
I've been learning some Christmas carols on the guitar and I noticed that the chord structure they have is very different from what I can usually see in popular/rock music.
I noticed that the ...
5
votes
4answers
225 views
Singing along to guitar chords (harmony)
Recently I started writing songs and I started to wonder:
Let's say I sing middle C (while playing open C chord on guitar) for a bar and then go to singing E, third higher in pitch. Should I follow ...
1
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1answer
65 views
Is there a catalog of different rhythms? [closed]
The melodies I've been writing have been good in terms of notes and chord progressions, but they lack interesting rhythms. Some examples of good rhythms that are interesting are DROELOE's Kintsugi ...
4
votes
3answers
133 views
Can the melody determine the key of an ambiguous chord progression
I am writing a song in A major. The chords in the verse are A, C#m, F#m, F#m. Now it is clear to me the key of this part of the song is A/F#m but then in the chorus the C#m chord is switched with the ...
6
votes
3answers
635 views
Are modes in jazz primarily a melody thing?
I was wondering when jazz cats talk about how they'd use a Lydian scale to improvise over a major chord, or a Dorian scale to improvise over a minor chord they're mainly talking about the melody? So ...
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5answers
1k views
How to write a 12-bar blues melody
I'm learning to write a 12-bar blues for a music theory class, and I'm a little confused about one point. I understand that the harmony is made of certain typical chord progressions (e.g. I-I-I-I, IV-...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
I can't produce songs
I'm a guitarist, playing with 3-4 bands 4-5 days a week. I also study Sound Engineering and doing recording, arranging and mixing. My literature is not bad, and I have a good music education. ...
1
vote
2answers
56 views
Does this song use melodic minor or harmonic minor?
The song below was on a past IB Music Diploma Programme listening paper. The markscheme says that it uses melodic minor. I hear a raised 7th, particularly in the vocal, but I don't hear a raised 6th......
9
votes
2answers
522 views
How can whole tone melodies sound more interesting?
How can one make melodies made from whole tone scales sound more interesting & appealing? Unlike melodies based in a certain mode or a key, whole tone scales use only tones as the intervals. This ...
0
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1answer
111 views
Tips on writing 12 bar or 16 bar melodies
I need to write 12 bar or 16 bar melodies for my Grade 8 Music Theory exam. I know how to write melodies, which didn't require any modulation. I am new to the concept of using modulation in melody ...
1
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2answers
87 views
What are the key features to keep in mind when writing melodies in Mixolydian mode?
When writing a melody in the Mixolydian mode, you don't want it to sound as if it were in a major key. So how do you go about writing melodies in the Mixolydian mode, while maintaining the essence of ...
2
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1answer
79 views
If a melody is above the octave does that give reason to use extended chords?
I'm wondering if the melody, when you play it above an octave and those notes then become 9ths,11ths,13ths does that then give a reason to use extended chords to harmonize them? Or is there no ...
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1answer
90 views
How to analyze this melody in modal/Jazz theory? [closed]
Update: I've updated this for clarity and with some context regarding how I interpret this passage, but my fundamental question remains the same. I really hope someone could help me parse out this ...
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3answers
189 views
Are there two types of songs (melody based, harmony based)? [closed]
I noticed two types of songs.
A strong chord progression (or a strong bass line) and then the melody follows as an example, Pachelbel's Canon in D. In this case the chord progression remains ...
2
votes
0answers
57 views
Kinetic Rhythm in Pop Music
This is something I've noticed that I don't hear anyone really talking about...
Essentially it's the way that separate rhythmic elements of most pop songs interact in a kinetic way with one another. ...
7
votes
3answers
126 views
Which notes are skeletal?
I have been told to figure out which notes in Mozart's theme are skeletal and which ones are just embellishments before I develop my Theme and Variations.
But I don't know how to tell if a note is ...
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3answers
102 views
Having learnt all the intervals by ear, how does one learn whole melodies? [duplicate]
This might seem like an easy step, but having learned how to recognise all the intervals upto an octave: ascending, descending and harmonically, how does one figure out a melody by ear? I can pick out ...
0
votes
3answers
131 views
How does 'If I were a rich man' work? [closed]
I was playing 'If I were a rich man'. I noticed how it makes use of alot of notes outside its scale even though it's in C major. and I was wondering what the term is for what is it doing. Is it ...
5
votes
1answer
54 views
Is melodic analysis a thing?
I know that harmonic analysis can be done like this:
i iv V i
Is there a similar standard for melodic analysis? Is melodic analysis a thing?
Thanks, Nathan.
8
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4answers
2k views
Would the melodic leap of the opening phrase of Mozart's K545 be considered dissonant?
The Complete Musician by Steven Laitz states that melodic intervals larger than a fifth are considered dissonant and should be avoided. It also states that two leaps of a third are fine, provided you ...
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vote
1answer
95 views
Does changing the beat of a song change its genre? [closed]
Recently, I was listenting to a song, adn then a remix of the same song, and noticed that the melody/beat of the two were very different.
Are the two variations of the song different genres, and if ...
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votes
1answer
231 views
“Für Elise” Opening motif [closed]
Beethoven wrote his "Für Elise" for his girlfriend "Elise Röckel". The first three notes of the piece, E-D♯-E, make a little "sense" about it, as the letters of the notes somehow form the name "Elise"...
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1answer
44 views
Is there a specific name or descriptive term for happy, productive melodies/tunes that you see on ads? [closed]
Example
Feel free to include some of your favorite ones also!
1
vote
1answer
153 views
Which key to modulate to? [closed]
So I have finished the A section of my waltz and am wanting to go to another key for the B section. The waltz is in the key of D major. So these chords are diatonic to it:
My melody in the A section ...
3
votes
2answers
220 views
How to properly unresolve melodies to achieve dissonance and darkness in music [closed]
I'm looking to understand music theory behind dissonance, unresolved dark music. What makes a song sound serious and not "rainbows". When writing a bassline or melodies, is it possible to achieve ...
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0answers
702 views
How am I supposed to go about writing a waltz? [closed]
This and other dances in general I have kind of been avoiding for the first 10 years that I composed. But I figured that if I am going to start composing dance music as well as sonatas, symphonies, ...
0
votes
3answers
181 views
Why can I play a melody starting with any key, or even change the key in the middle of the melody?
I just realized that I can play any melody starting with any key on a piano, and it sounds weird only for the first key I press, and afterwards I have trouble remembering what the original sounded ...
2
votes
1answer
90 views
Melodic lines are diatonic, harmony doesn't seem to be
Okay so this is something that I came across as I was writing my canons and analyzing the harmony to try to figure out which canon is best for my symphony. There is a section in one of my canons where ...
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votes
2answers
85 views
Can someone teach me [closed]
Can someone teach me how to write melodies like:
I know basic theory but I don't know how to generate melodies.
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3answers
188 views
Best sequence to learn about harmony, melody and rhythm? [closed]
I have basic knowledge about these but I want to learn in depth. So what could be the sequence to learn. Also tell where Form, and other elements will come.
2
votes
2answers
111 views
Mathematical methods for analysing melodic contour? [closed]
Are there any mathematical methods for identifying melodic shape, identifying motifs and general pattern recognition?
2
votes
1answer
94 views
Melody with only notes C, G, D, A
Is there any well-known melody that only contains the notes C, G, D and A? I'm learning to play the cello, so far practicing only playing on open strings and would love to be able to play a melody.
9
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2answers
176 views
How to make the dominant preparation less boring?
This is one thing that I have always noticed when I compose a sonata. Even if I can get through most of the development section in sonata form, the dominant preparation sort of grinds my gears. I'm ...
0
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4answers
253 views
Melody And Intervals [closed]
How do composers think about intervals like minor, major,etc to compose melody?
Eg I know playing major third will invoke happy mood....that is if we play C and then E creates happier environment......
2
votes
1answer
126 views
Melodic Composition Tips?
This question (and my attempted answer) is from a practise test booklet for the RCM Grade 8 Exam I'm going to take. I have a few questions regarding composing melodies and also cadences.
So in part ...
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0answers
97 views
How to describe unmistakable similarity in two Andrew Lloyd Webber songs?
So, I'm a very elementary music student with a theatrical background, and I want to ask a professor about what I hear as a very marked similarity between a couple of songs from different Andrew Lloyd ...
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1answer
105 views
Can any melody / motif be turned into a good sounding melody? (Theoretical and practical question.) [closed]
I've read and experienced and I noticed that rhythm, rest placing and even very minor (no pun inteded) changes to the melody, for example some flat or sharp can change it drastically.
My question is ...
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2answers
107 views
Melodic Criticism - Exercise 3.16G, Laitz The Complete Musician 2nd Edition
The question asks to find the weaknesses or problems (based on the general guidelines for melody writing presented in the preceding section) in the following melodic contour (tunes without rhythm or ...
3
votes
1answer
482 views
How do video game music composers make so many songs for one game? Are all of them some sort of musical talent / genius?
I love video game soundtracks from to 8-bit ones to the very orchestral pieces but it's not clear to me how they can make so many songs for one game. Even if there are motifs which can help make ...
2
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1answer
121 views
What is considered to be inspiration? How can I be sure my idea is original?
I'm feeling like I'm not fully understand what degree of musical creativity is considered to be creating original content or inspiration.
When a musical idea "jumps in my head" it sometimes remind me ...
