How to Compose a Melody

How compose a to

MeLody

Step 1 • Compose one bar of music using the notes of your ‘tonic’ chord (key chord) and some ‘passing notes’ E.g. If you’re in the key of C major the tonic chord is a C chord (C-E-G)

C

D E

F

G A

B C D E C

F

G A

B

= notes of a C major chord. If our piece is in C major then it is also the tonic chord = the passing notes of a C major chord

Melody = tune Tonic = the most important note in the music Passing notes = notes in between the notes of a chord

Step 1 Here is an example, • I have composed one bar of music • There are four beats in a bar • And because it’s in the key of C major it starts on a C, uses notes of the tonic chord (C and G) and uses some passing notes (A and F)

C

G AGF C

Passing notes = notes in between the notes of a chord = notes of the chord = the passing notes of the chord

Step 1

= 2 beats

Write out a melody that lasts for one bar (four beats), using the notes of the C major chord and some of the passing notes. Notes in the C major chord

= 1 beat = ½ beat = ¼ beat

Passing notes

E

F

G

A

B

C

D

E

F

Step 2 An easy way of making the melody longer is to repeat the bar and change the last note C G AGFC C G AGFG

Repetition = to play something more than once Develop = change and improve your ideas

Step 2

= 2 beats = 1 beat

Write out your first bar twice and change the last note. Ask your teacher to play it to check it sounds good.

= ½ beat = ¼ beat

E

F

G

A

B

C

D

E

F

Step 3 For the third bar, write a new melody this time using the notes of an F major chord and some of the passing notes. Eg.

F A G CDC BA B E

= notes of the chord = the passing notes of the chord

Step 3

= 2 beats

Write out a the next bit of the melody. It should last for one bar (four beats).

= 1 beat = ½ beat

Use the notes of the F major chord and some of the passing notes. Notes in the F major chord

= ¼ beat

Passing notes

E

F

G

A

B

C

D

E

F

Step 4 To finish of the 4 bar-long phrase, use your idea from bar one. You may have to change the final note if it doesn’t sound finished when you play it C G AGFC C G AGFG F CG CDCBABE C G AGFC

A

A1

B

The structure of the melody is A, A1, B, A

A

Phrase = a musical sentence Structure = different sections of music

Step 4

= 2 beats = 1 beat

Write out the whole 4 bar-long phrase using Sibelius (or by hand neatly).

= ½ beat = ¼ beat

Listen to it and adjust notes if they don’t sound quite right. When you’re happy with this, print it off and put it in your folder

E

F

G

A

B

C

D

E

F