Name: _______________________

Date: ________________________

# Melody Characteristics

A melody is a horizontal line of successive notes moving in a linear, uninterrupted manner. A melody consists of duration, rhythm, pitch, and intervals. A good melody is the heart and core of a composition. This is what the listener will focus on first and may remember best.

Below are suggestions to help you learn and practice writing a good melody.

## A Good Melody:

Strategy:
1. Read the list of characteristics which describe a good melody.
2. Try to remember good melody characteristics as you listen to music and begin to create your own music.
3. Fill in the sentences in the check-up with the correct word.
4. Be sure to read the introduction pages for this lesson chapter.

### Characteristics of a Good Melody

1. Can be simple or complex using notes and rests.
2. Can be of any length, from short fragments to long lines.
3. Can be repetitious or varied.
4. Can have unity and contrast.
5. Can follow scale steps and/or can include narrow or wide intervals.
6. Can have phrase lengths of 4, 6, 8 or more measures.
7. Can be written in major, minor, pentatonic, or any other scale mode.
8. Can be diatonic (within the key or scale) or include accidentals.
9. Can have one or several climactic points.

### Check-Up: A Good Melody

10. Has direction and will eventually end on the key tone or tonic.
11. Should have a natural contour with a rise and fall, with tension and relaxation.
12. Should feel like it is leading somewhere.
13. Usually avoids complete scale units.
14. May have a unique rhythmic or interval characteristic, but usually avoids a long repetitive rhythmic unit.
15. Will undergo repeated revisions and rewrites by the composer after the initial idea is conceived.
16. Uses a simple melody if lyrics are important.
17. Comes after many practice melodies are written.
18. Is many times very simple in its design.

### Fill in the Blanks

1. A good melody can be of any length and may be simple or complex.
2. It includes rhythm, pitch, and intervals, and can be within one key or include accidentals.
3. It should feel like it has direction with a natural contour with a rise and fall.
4. It can be repetitious or varied with scale steps or with skips.
5. It will eventually end on the tonic or key tone.

How many characteristics of a good melody can you remember without looking at the list?