Melodic Steps and Leaps

Melodic Steps and Leaps One very old but also very useful rule for melodic writing is that a melodic leap in one direction should be followed by a melodic step in the other direction. Consecutive leaps in the same direction sound very dramatic and have the potential...

Melodic Build-Ups

Melodic Build-Ups Building towards a climax requires also your melody to increase tension which is not only possible by “going higher and higher”. When analyzing melodic structures that build towards a climax, usually several characteristics of the melody push it...

Melodic Shaping

Melodic Shaping One of the things you should keep an eye on when writing music is the form of your melody. Very often, inexperienced composers fall into repeating short-breathed almost identical 2-bar phrases. While it is perfectly fine to do that once in a while and...