Advanced Music Theory - Melody Writing
TLDRThis tutorial provides guidance on melody writing, emphasizing planning the overall structure and internal phrase structure first. It advises analyzing the given opening material for harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic ideas to reuse and develop throughout the piece. Other tips include balancing conjunct and disjunct motion, shaping melodic phrases, considering instrumental ranges, working with text if writing vocal melodies, and maintaining the style and character of the opening material. The goal is creating an expressive, musical melody through creativity and technique.
Takeaways
- 😀 Start with the overall structure - think about phrase lengths, binary/ternary form etc. before writing specific notes.
- 😊 Plan your keys, cadences and harmonic rhythm to give a framework for the melody.
- 🎵 Analyze the rhythmic, melodic and harmonic ideas in the given opening material.
- 🎶 Use a balance of conjunct and disjunct movement in the melody.
- 🎼 Shape phrases with a sense of rise and fall.
- 🎹 Allow space for the melody to breathe at cadences.
- 🎵🎶 Use rests periodically to create balance between sound and silence.
- 🎵 Consider the style - Baroque, Classical, Romantic etc - and write accordingly.
- 🎤 For vocal writing, set stresses on strong beats and use enough notes for syllables.
- ⭐ Be creative in developing motifs and ideas from the opening material.
Q & A
What is the best way to approach melody writing?
-Start by planning the overall structure, then the internal structure including keys, cadences and phrases. Analyze the given material for ideas before writing the melody itself.
How can you create contrast in a melody?
-Use different rhythmic ideas, modulate to different keys, vary the conjunct/disjunct motion, alternate between syllabic and melismatic writing in vocal melodies.
What are some common musical forms for melodies?
-Binary form (A-B) and ternary form (A-B-A) are very common structures. The melodies tend to modulate between tonic and dominant keys.
What are some techniques for implying harmony in a melody?
-Use chord tones on strong beats, non-chord tones like passing notes and neighbour notes between chord tones, and plan cadences to clearly establish tonality.
How can rests be used effectively in melody writing?
-Occasional rests allow the music to breathe between phrases. In modern styles, rests are used more prominently as part of the melodic material.
What is harmonic rhythm and why is it important?
-Harmonic rhythm refers to the rate of chord changes. Analyzing harmonic rhythm in a given melody can suggest an appropriate pace for modulating through chords in your own melody.
How should you handle writing for transposing instruments?
-Remember that transposing instruments like clarinet and trumpet sound lower than written. Adjust keys and note ranges accordingly.
What should you consider when writing vocal melodies?
-Keep within a comfortable vocal range, set stressed syllables to strong beats, use enough notes to match syllables, and balance syllabic and melismatic writing.
How can you develop melodic ideas?
-Try sequences, inversion, augmentation/diminution, transposition to a new key, changing the rhythm, embellishing with non-chord tones.
What are some characteristics of melody writing in different eras?
-Baroque focuses on clear phrases and functional harmony. Classical has elegant balanced phrases. Romantic uses more rubato, chromaticism. Modern incorporates complex rhythms, new scales.
Outlines
😀 Introductory Overview
The instructor introduces the topic of melody writing, noting it is part of the syllabus for grades 6-8 theory. Even those not taking exams may find the content useful. The temptation is to start rapidly writing notes to fill the required number of bars, but better to begin with overall melodic structure and phrasing before adding detail.
😀 Planning the Overall Form
It's advisable to start by planning the overall structure, considering standard forms like binary (A-B) or ternary (A-B-A). This provides a framework to then design internal phrasing of 4 or 8 bars to match required length. Also plan modulations, cadences and harmonic rhythm. Analyze the given material for rhythmic, melodic and harmonic ideas to reuse.
😀 Determining Chords and Cadences
The overall plan allows determining chords, particularly at cadence points. An imperfect cadence before a closing perfect/plagal cadence gives direction. Chord choices fit with cadence types. Analyze the given opening for implied chords and harmonic rhythm of chord changes per bar to continue.
😀 Using Essential and Inessential Notes
Once the harmonic plan is known, write melody notes belonging to those chords, plus inessential notes like passing notes. Passing notes fall between chord tones, unaccented between beats. Auxiliary notes depart/return to a chord tone by step. A balance of essential and inessential notes gives interest.
😀 Achieving Conjunct and Disjunct Motion
Strive for balance between conjunct motion (by step) which is smoother, and disjunct motion (leaps) which is more disjointed. Too much of either causes issues. Analyze the opening for examples of each to reuse. Shape phrases melodically with disjunct motion at start leading to more conjunct motion.
😀 Considering Range, Style and Expression
Before adding detail, consider the instrument range, so melodies work for flute, oboe, etc. Match the melodic style of the opening. Select a tempo and mood that carries through or intentionally contrasts across sections. Add breathing space at cadences with longer notes and occasional rests.
😀 Working With Text in Vocal Music
For vocal music, set text appropriately, with stressed syllables on strong beats. Have at least one note per syllable. Balance syllabic (one note per syllable) and melismatic (multiple notes on one syllable). Stay within comfortable vocal ranges for each voice type.
😀 Addressing 20th Century Styles
In modern styles, be open to varied time signatures, use of different scales like pentatonic or whole-tone, and Serialist note rows. Watch for sudden contrasts, wide intervals, and other effects in the opening to carry through the melody. Work with any characteristic intervals, rhythms or motifs.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡melody writing
💡phrases
💡cadences
💡harmonic rhythm
💡modes
💡intervals
💡conjunct motion
💡shape
💡syllabic
💡pentatonic scale
Highlights
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Transcripts
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