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Composition/Arrangement/Theory / Re: [Ql Creating (logical) melodies
« on: January 10, 2016, 08:12:21 pm »
Everyone's workflow is of course different, but whistling, humming and singing is working very well for me. Sometimes things just click and I can intuitively write a melody, but at other times, I have to approach things in a more structured way: I think of melodies in terms of rhythmic patterns and melodic phrases, and I try to surprise with one while keeping the other steady. What that means is, different parts of a melody will end up sounding similar to other parts in some ways and fresh in other ways—finding the balance there is a matter of experience, as are most things. I will also frequently write a second part where I can change up a few things (like going up instead of down in a key place), which is not just a way to call back to the original melody (humans like familiarity), but also a way to express different emotions, and to make a chord progression go a longer way.
Here's an example of a melody I wrote that way (skip to 1:54:40 or so):
Another quick tip: look up call-response patterns. Knowing how to use them will improve your melody writing immensely.
Here's an example of a melody I wrote that way (skip to 1:54:40 or so):
Another quick tip: look up call-response patterns. Knowing how to use them will improve your melody writing immensely.