What makes a goodMELODY?
Alexandra Zablotsky2014
Pitch – the highness or lowness of a note
Rhythm – a pattern of sound
Components of melody
How to arrange the pitches• Stepwise motion:
The pitches are organized one step away from each other
• Leapwise motion: The pitches are organized more than one step away from each other
Parts that make up a melody are called THEMES
• Theme: a musical expression or idea
• Themes are made up of MOTIFS
Motif Theme
Tracing melodic contourThe melodic contour is traced in red. The melody builds up to the highest point on the last note.
Tracing melodic contourMore examples of shape; here the melody starts higher and moves down.
Ludwig Van Beethoven,Symphony No. 5 in C minor
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Beethoven
Motive: small sections that make up a melodic theme
TranspositionTransposition is moving the pitches up or down:• Diatonic
transposition• Chromatic
Transposition
Diatonic transposition:uses only notes in the key
Chromatic transposition:uses notes not in the key, but keeps the same intervals.
Inversion:using the same notes
moving the opposite way
Augmentation – slows down
Diminution - Speeds up
Rhythmic transformation
Stepwise and leapwise motion
Melodic shapeMotivic transposition –
diatonic and chromaticRhythmic
transformation – augmentation and diminution
Melodic transformation techniques
Practice listeningWrite your own melodies
incorporating these techniquesPractice soloing using these
techniques
Next steps
Geralt. Untitled. Digital image. Pixabay. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://pixabay.com/en/violin-listen-sound-sounds-concert-67418/
Angr. Scientific Pitch Notation. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Pitch_notation.png>.
Evan-Amos. A Pumpkin Pie. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Pumpkin-Pie-Whole-Slice.jpg>.
Stieler, Joseph K. Beethoven. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.archiv.fraunhofer.de/archiv/presseinfos/pflege.zv.fhg.de/german/press/pi/pi2002/08/md_fo6a.html>.
Beethoven, Ludwig V. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Allegro Con Brio. Braunschweig: Henry Litolff, 1880. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1989. PDF.
Merian, Maria Sibylia. Metamorphosis of a Butterfly. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Metamorphosis_of_a_Butterfly_Merrian_1705.jpg>.
Gamelin, Jaques. Four Skeletons playing Musical Instruments. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Four_skeletons_playing_musical_instruments_Wellcome_V0008806.jpg>.
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Four_skeletons_playing_musical_instruments_Wellcome_V0008806.jpg>.
Photo Credits
Music Credits
*All works used are PUBLIC DOMAIN
Ludwig Van Beethoven. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Allegro Con Brio. Cond. Larry Simons. Perf. Woodside Park Philharmonia. N.d. MIDI.