Tips for Writing Memorable Melodies on How to Write a Melody
Songwriting combines a variety of musical elements, such as chord progressions, rhythmic rhythms, and words. However, melodies—both instrumental and vocal melodies, such as guitar riffs and bass lines—are frequently used as a song's calling card.
What Is a Melody, Exactly?
Within a piece of music, a melody is a series of notes played or sung. A basic melody might be as simple as a single musical phrase—just a few brief notes. Complimentary melodies, such as those found in jazz, operatic arias, and progressive rock epics, can be generated by more complicated musical ideas.
What Makes a Melody So Special?
Pitch and length are the two most important aspects of a melody. Every note vibrates at its own unique frequency, which affects its pitch—how "high" or "low" it sounds in music theory. The duration of a note refers to how long it is held. A quarter note, for example, is a note that lasts one-fourth the length of a 4/4 time measure. The length of the gaps between notes is also referred to as duration.
Melodies are divided into three categories.
With one significant exception, most melodic ideas arise from a chord sequence or a scale.
Melodies based on chord changes: Some songwriters begin their melody-writing process by crafting a sequence of chord changes. They then create melodies using chord tones, which are the notes that make up each chord.
Scale-based melodies are melodies that are made up of notes from a specific scale or mode. A C major melody, for example, might only use notes from the C major scale (indicated by a key signature with no sharp or flat notes). Although most major and minor scales have seven notes (some minor scales have more), you can construct a fantastic melody with fewer notes. Pentatonic scales, which comprise only five notes, are widely used in pop music.
Melodies with only one tone: Melodies can also be monotone rhythmic patterns in theory. Some hip-hop vocal melodies, as well as dance beats in EDM tracks, fall under this category. This isn't to say that every drum beat is a melody, but if there aren't any pitched sounds stacked on top of it, a rhythmic pattern can serve as the melody for a song part.
Tips for Writing Memorable Melodies on How to Write a Melody
If you want to write better melodies for your own songs, there are a number of tried-and-true songwriting strategies that might help you.
Keep track of the chords. Begin by improvising on a set of chord changes, and then let the notes in those chords inspire a new melody.
Use a scale to guide you. Melodies can also be created by blending notes from major and minor scales. Most pop melodies are built on major and minor scales, but if you want to go even deeper, try a dominant scale, an altered scale, or a mode.
Make a plan before you start writing. While freeform composition can be freeing, when you start thinking holistically, you may find yourself generating stronger melodies. Start with the chorus melody of your song and go backwards. Consider what kind of verse or pre-chorus melodies might benefit the chorus the most. You can even include a separate intro section with its own tune that does not appear anywhere else in the song.
Make a focal point for your melodies. A focal point is a high note that a melodic line hits once and then never touches again—at least not in that section of the song. Make sure the highest note is within the vocal range of your singer. Alternatively, if you wish to go against the grain, make your focus point the lowest note in your melody.
Make a couple leaps in your progressive lines. Most vocal melodies have a stepwise progression, which implies that most notes are followed by a half-step or whole-step above or below. The best songwriters then incorporate leaps (two whole steps or more) that contrast with the incremental pattern.
Repeat phrases, but slightly alter them. If you come up with a brief musical phrase, repeat it a few times, gently changing the notes or rhythm each time. Add some syncopation to the rhythmic pattern by inserting a different note on each iteration. You might come up with something lot more fascinating than simply repeating the same words several times.
Experiment with different types of counterpoint. Write two melodies and interweave them instead of one single melodic line over a chord sequence. You can lay down one melodic line and then play with a second one layered on top if you have digital audio workstation (DAW) software on your computer.
Place your instrument on the table. Writing away from an instrument is an excellent technique to spark inspiration or break through writer's block. Try singing vocal lines into a smartphone recording app. Then go back to your instrument and write down what you've just sung.
Get ideas from your favourite musicians. Examine your favourite songs' melodies and try to figure out what it is about them that draws you in. Then, whether it's certain scales, jumps, or rhythmic patterns, steal some of their approaches.
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