Writing Unique and Memorable Melodies (2024)

The Art and Business of Songwriting

Larry D. Batiste

Published:

2024

Online ISBN:

9780197751350

Print ISBN:

9780199893102

Contents

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The Art and Business of Songwriting

Larry D. Batiste

Chapter

Larry D. Batiste,

Larry D. Batiste

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Oxford Academic

Narada Michael Walden

Narada Michael Walden

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Oxford Academic

Pages

76–88

  • Published:

    April 2024

Cite

Batiste, Larry D., and Narada Michael Walden, 'Writing Unique and Memorable Melodies', The Art and Business of Songwriting (2024; online edn, Oxford Academic, 30 Apr. 2024), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199893102.003.0005, accessed 18 May 2024.

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Abstract

In this chapter the author explains that the melody is the song’s center of attraction. The reader will learn how melodies are formed and what makes them memorable and instantly recognizable. To create distinctive melodies, songwriters rely on a myriad of strategies. The reader will find various approaches used to construct a melody. This chapter also explores how to use intervals, rhythms, cadences, range, repetition, variation, and elements of surprise to stimulate listeners.

Keywords: melody, repetition, intervals, cadences, variation, melodic phrases, signature riffs, unique melodies, memorable melodies, distinctive melodies

Subject

Applied Music Music Theory and Analysis

Collection: Oxford Scholarship Online

The Art and Business of Songwriting. Larry D. Batiste, Oxford University Press. © Oxford University Press 2024. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780199893102.003.0005

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Writing Unique and Memorable Melodies (2024)

FAQs

How to write a unique melody? ›

Here's a step-by-step guide to writing memorable melodies so that you can help your songs stand out within the music industry.
  1. Find your scale.
  2. Build onto of a chord progression.
  3. Start with rhythm and lyrics.
  4. Improvise!
  5. Work on the verse melody first.
  6. Come up with multiple options.
  7. Let the melodies sit.
  8. Edit as needed.
Nov 27, 2021

What makes a melody memorable? ›

Repeat a 1- or 2-Bar Vocal Melody and Chord Progression

Each chorus begins with a catchy two-bar melody. This melody is then repeated, creating a exceptionally memorable chorus that is comprised of only a two-bar phrase that listeners hear multiple times throughout the song.

What is the most important thing to remember when writing a melody? ›

Repetition and variation are crucial in music, and this is especially true for the melody. The melody should be repeated enough for familiarity but not bore listeners. Change things up, while keeping the underlying structure intact.

What is a question and answer melody? ›

Question/answer call and response

Part of the band poses a musical "question", or a phrase that feels unfinished, and another part of the band "answers" (finishes) it. In the blues, the B section often has a question-and-answer pattern (dominant-to-tonic).

What is a good example of melody? ›

What's a melody? Musical notes played in a specific sequence that is easy to remember and that forms its own unit is the definition of melody. "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or "Pop Goes the Weasel" are examples of well-known melodies. Informally, a melody may also be called a tune.

How do you write a perfect melody? ›

How to Write a Melody: 9 Tips for Writing Memorable Melodies
  1. Follow chords. ...
  2. Follow a scale. ...
  3. Write with a plan. ...
  4. Give your melodies a focal point. ...
  5. Write stepwise lines with a few leaps. ...
  6. Repeat phrases, but change them slightly. ...
  7. Experiment with counterpoint. ...
  8. Put down your instrument.
Nov 2, 2021

How is each melody unique? ›

Each melody is unique in its contour (how it moves up and down) and in its range, or span of pitches. An interval is the distance between any two pitches in a melody. A melody that moves in small, connected intervals is considered conjunct, while one that moves by leaps is called disjunct.

What makes a melody beautiful? ›

It does not disturb or provoke unpleasantness or defensive response. It follows a familiar pattern, it evidences an organization, a structure that is comforting and reassuring. We can escape into it's aesthetic to feel restored, affirmed, and filled with something of life that is inexplicably good.

What are the basics of melody? ›

Melodies are the part of music that is above the chords and rhythm. They can come in many shapes and sizes, and can have lyrics or be instrumental. They can be played very high, or very low. We can hear them played by instruments like a violin, guitar, saxophone, trumpet, or sung by a voice.

What are the 4 characteristics of melody? ›

Kliewer states, "The essential elements of any melody are duration, pitch, and quality (timbre), texture, and loudness. Though the same melody may be recognizable when played with a wide variety of timbres and dynamics, the latter may still be an "element of linear ordering."

What is phrasing in a melody? ›

“Musical phrasing is the way a musician shapes a sequence of notes in a passage of music to allow expression, much like when speaking English a phrase may be written identically but may be spoken differently, and is named for the interpretation of small units of time known as phrases (half of a period).

What is the melody answer? ›

Melody is a linear sequence of notes the listener hears as a single entity. The melody of a song is the foreground to the backing elements and is a combination of pitch and rhythm. Sequences of notes that comprise melody are musically satisfying and are often the most memorable part of a song.

What makes a catchy melody? ›

The more repetition you've got in terms of pitch and of rhythm, the more memorable that melody is going to be. Duplicate the first rhythm, so it's doubled up, then create a slight variation at the end of the second time it goes through.

What is a catchy melody called? ›

A catchy hook, an infectious chant: an earworm is a simple thing.

How do you write melody variations? ›

Universal Techniques
  1. Split them up. For instance, you could split up a half note into two quarters notes, four 8th notes, a triplet of three quarter notes, or so on.
  2. Extend them by adding a dot to one note, and shortening the next note. ...
  3. Combine them.
  4. Replace them with rests.
  5. Vary the degree of regularity and irregularity.

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