Author Topic: What exactly is a "counter melody"?  (Read 13075 times)

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What exactly is a "counter melody"?
« on: January 27, 2016, 03:55:55 am »
I googled it, but I can't really understand it. :(

Wikipedia says: In music, a counter-melody (often countermelody) is a sequence of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent lead melody: a secondary melody played in counterpoint with the primary melody.

It's hard to know what it exactly is. I need help! Could somebody give me examples and explain it?

cryophonik

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Re: What exactly is a "counter melody"?
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2016, 04:27:27 am »
It's a secondary melody that complements the main melody.  It's different than a harmony in that it doesn't change the notes at the same time as the melody.  It can stand as a melody on its own, but it usually moves at an opposite pace as the lead melody (i.e., so they don't interfere with each other).  In other words, when the main melody is moving rapidly (e.g., 8th notes), the countermelody usually plays longer and more sustained notes (e.g., half-notes), and vice versa.
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Re: What exactly is a "counter melody"?
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2016, 04:34:38 am »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeFBrO-fy6o
here's a good example, at 0:23 notice how there's the vocal melody and the piano one mixed together, but one doesn't overshadow the other. Counter melodies are a really nice my tip is to not overdo it cus it can sound messy (^.^)

Lydian

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Re: What exactly is a "counter melody"?
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2016, 05:40:49 am »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeFBrO-fy6o
here's a good example, at 0:23 notice how there's the vocal melody and the piano one mixed together, but one doesn't overshadow the other. Counter melodies are a really nice my tip is to not overdo it cus it can sound messy (^.^)

I love that song. This is counterpoint btw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeSYpjVnKzc

The definition between counterpoint and countermelodies are kind of blurry honestly. It's like trying to define marketing.

Listen to armin van buurens never say never for a good example of countermelody.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVM1-t-jsv8
« Last Edit: January 27, 2016, 05:55:51 am by Lydian »
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Arktopolis

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Re: What exactly is a "counter melody"?
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2016, 11:55:01 am »
Here is another (non-EDM) example that I really like, because it really sets the mood for the chorus, at about 0:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWFtUbYiCMw. The piano and horn play an independent melody that is slightly more complex than the vocal melody, yet it has a supporting role. Notice also how the melodies join to the same rhythm at points, and then act more independently at others.

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« Last Edit: January 27, 2016, 11:58:19 am by Arktopolis »

Nadav

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Re: What exactly is a "counter melody"?
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2016, 02:16:26 am »
What's great is when two different parts of a song contain melodies that can combine into the same part, over each other, as counter-melodies.

Alice In Chains did that with "Down in a Hole".

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Re: What exactly is a "counter melody"?
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2016, 06:02:48 pm »
One way to write melodies that work together this way is to keep each voice playing different lines of the same chords.  The most basic example would be to have two melodies, one playing the 3rd and the other playing the 5th of the chord.  Now of course, those would just be the exact same melody, but if you start swapping notes between the two or choosing out of chord notes to pass between, then you'll have two melodies that generally work together.  Basically you're taking chords and various inversions of chords, and ripping up the 'chord voices' into melodies.  I can try to elaborate if that's not clear.

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Re: What exactly is a "counter melody"?
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2016, 08:01:09 pm »
Theres not alot of counterpoint melody in EDM. (not yet at least)

Here is a quick example:

@ (00:52) (00:56)

https://soundcloud.com/user28006564/contagious-pt5-master

Its subtle, however, it gives music a sense of continuity when its done right.