There are two types of melodic motion: conjunct motion, which proceeds by step from one scale degree to the next (i.e., by the interval of a 2nd) and disjunct motion, which proceeds by leap (i.e., by intervals larger than a 2nd).Ī melody assumes character by a number of means: its rhythmic structure, its contour, its tonal makeup, and its intervallic content. Conjunct and Disjunct Melodic Motion: What Does it Mean? In the following example, phrase 1 and phrase 2 group together to form a longer phrase phrase 3 and phrase 4 group together to form a longer phrase. Short phrases usually group together to form a longer phrase. A melodic phrase usually defines itself by resting or holding or coming to some point of resolution (rhythmically and/or tonally) and, especially in vocal music, is directly related to the natural areas to breathe. Melodic PhraseĪ melodic phrase, much like a sentence or clause in verbal language, usually encompasses a complete musical statement. The melody is usually the most memorable aspect of a song, the one the listener remembers and is able to perform. Melody is a succession of pitches in rhythm. The two basic elements of music that define melody are pitch and rhythm. I think it's probably true across genres that what really comes first (or at least, early on in the process) is a set of assumptions that come from the style that the artist is working in and the function a song will have.The following is excerpted from Chapter 1 of Melody in Songwriting: Tools and Techniques for Writing Hit Songs by Jack Perricone, published by Berklee Press. These specifics can be very different in different styles (grunge will have very different norms to modern r'n'b), but within a style they often form strong guidelines. whether it has a dance rhythm, and if so, which one) and so on. One of the things that makes it possible for pop musicians to quickly flesh out an idea in different directions is that they will quite often be working in a well-understood form, where there are strong expectations about how a song will evolve, what kinds of chords will be used, how the lyrics will relate to the song structure, the function of the song (e.g. Sound on Sound "Classic Tracks" ( newer articles require subscription, but most can be read in full) It's always interesting to read more accounts to get a feel of how different creative processes can work: Journey's Don't Stop Believin' is an example of this, as recounted here. What may be more common is to almost simultaneously come up with a melodic fragment and accompanying riff or chords, and expand that structure into a whole song. I think it's relatively rare in pop music to come up with a complete melody and only then to harmonise it. This account of R.E.M.'s Losin my Religion. Another common type of story is for a player to be experimenting with an instrument and come up with an interesting sounding riff or progression over which lyrical ideas are generated - e.g. One extremely common story is for the a concept or a lyrical idea to give rise to a little fragment of sung melody, which then evolves into a song. From having heard/read hundreds of accounts of 'how I wrote this hit song' over the years, it's fairly clear that in the world of popular song, approaches that might be characterised as 'Harmony First' and 'Melody First' are both frequently used.
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