Melodic Ideas

MELODIC IDEAS If you go for a walk, you want to make sure that the terrain is smooth enough that you can do the walk easily. But if it's too smooth, too predictable, your walk will be a boring one. If the land is very flat, you'll probably see the entire route of your walk from your starting point, and that's not really so great. Songs are similar: Your chords and melody need to be simple enough that your audience isn't scared away by them. At the same time, there needs to be something challenging for them. In other words, successful songs all exhibit a balance between *innovation* and *simplicity*. If the listener can "hear the whole song from the beginning," as much formula writing allows, listeners become bored. I talk a lot about contouring melodies, and this is the way that melodies become memorable. If there's shape, it will stick in the listener's mind. Follow these important tips: i) A song that consists of verses only (i.e., no chorus), should have its high point at approximately the 3/4 point or later. In other words, if your melody is 16 bars long, it will probably work to have the high point occurring around bar 13 - 16. (Putting the high point at the end of the melody sets it up nicely for a bridge.) ii) A song that consists of verses and choruses should use a verse melody that doesn't rise too much, giving a feeling of "something else is needed". Then let the melody of the chorus go even higher. iii) Repeated notes and repeated figures in a melody have a way of building energy and adding a sense of profundity. "Closing Time" by Leonard Cohen uses this technique. The repeated notes give a mesmerizing feel that's worth exploring. And within this repeated-note technique, he allows his melodies to rise as they progress, intensifying the energy. iv) Nothing kills the effect of a good melody by having a chord progression that just doesn't work. Keep this important rule in mind: A strong, predictable chord progression is better than an innovative one that doesn't make sense. If you find that your melodies don't do it for you, try increasing the contour of the melodic shapes. Try a leap upward of a 5th rather than a 3rd. And if your melodies use big leaps upward, let the melody descend by scale steps.