Melody composition

One commonly studied feature of a melody is its outline  the melodic curve. Essentially, this term captures the general movement directions, which a given melody line exposes. In other words, we describe the overall ascending and descending tendencies of a melody, not concerning ourselves with the decorative notes. (Such description is similar to mathematical correlation curves.) In this article we will look at several kinds of common melody curves. It should not be forgotten however that a melody has another aspects to it, such as tension and relaxation, not to mention the emotional part. Therefore, I urge you, the reader, to (besides reading this) analyse the great melodies of songs/compositions from all mentioned points of view, i.e. the curve, feeling and tension-release patterns, to make the studies fruitful and to be able to use the knowledge in your own compositions. To begin with, let us present the commonest melody curves in a graphical outline and give them some arbitrary names:

The wave-like type of curve is very common, showing a pattern of tension (high notes) and release (lower notes). This pattern does not need to be regular, however the high points of the melody are often emphasized rhythmically, coming on strong beats or being longer than other notes. Another feature of the high points is a defined interval relationship between each other, be it thirds, fifths or other (even chaotic  relations). Larger interval jumps are often the means to reach the high notes from the lower, stepwise and steady moving parts of the melody. Other types of melodic curves are less common than the wave-like form, although not totally absent. However, the wave-like form of a melody can be made in many different tints, often resembling a combination of the other types of melodic curves. It is a good ear exercise to listen and analyse melodies that hook you. You ll hear what kinds of curves are the ones that hit people. From this knowledge, your own melodies can ensue. Following this general description of curves, we will go on to discuss the details in the next article.

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