Melody Writing Secrets!

2!

Two Melodies!

3!

Using Motifs To Write A Melody!

3!

Developing Phrases!

8!

Summary!

11!

Modal Scales (Bonus Chapter) !

12

Melody Writing Secrets!

How To Write Memorable Melodies !

Ever heard a totally mind blowing track on the radio? What was stuck in your
mind after listening to it? The beautiful hi-hat sound? The really expensive
guitar recorded through a 20,000$ amp? Most times, I would guess it was the
melody. The melody is probably the most important and characteristic
element in a musical piece. It gives the song personality, and makes it
different. You have probably heard of 4 chord songs, hit songs who all are
based on the same chord progression. What is the one main element that
makes those hit songs different from each other, giving them an own
character? Well, usually the melody.!

In my experience, if the melody is boring, the whole song will be boring. I

have heard music that is amazingly recorded and produced by extremely
talented musicians, but there was just something lacking Something really
important, that eventually made me turn off the song all together. Looking
back now, I realize that those songs lacked a strong and memorable melody. I
have listened to a lot of music during my life, and composed a whole lot of
tracks myself. That way I have experienced the power of well written
melodies, and the destructive powers of bad ones. During the past years, I
have frequently asked myself: What are the characteristics of a great
melody? What is it that makes certain melodies so memorable? How can you
really engage and touch the listener with an amazing melody? !

I do not claim to have the final answer to this question, the absolute truth.
However, after studying a lot of melodies in works by both great classical
composers as well as in hit songs and film scores, I have found a few
elements they usually have in common. Simple elements and techniques you
can apply to your melodies to make them stand out. To make your melodies
get stuck in the head of your listener for days. Elements that do not just apply
to single genres, but music in general. All those tips will be revealed in detail

in this course, through written chapters, illustrations and audio examples. I

hope this book will help you write some amazing melodies, and help you
improve as a musician! !

Two Melodies

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Lets just start out by having a listen to two different melodies. !
!
Melody 1:

Melody 2:!

Listen to them a few times. Which one do you like most? Which one do you
consider to be the best melody? I guess most of you will answer the first
one. But why?!
Now, try to sing both of the melodies. Which one is easiest to remember?
Again, I guess the first one. I actually composed that melody in under a
minute, only using the techniques and tips I am going to present in this book.
Now, let me show you how I did it, and how you can start writing great and
memorable melodies too! !

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Using Motifs To Write A Melody
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Lets start by looking at the use of motifs, and see how they are important
building blocks in creating a great melody and composition. A motif is a short
characteristic fragment of music, possessing a lot of the identity of the piece.
Motifs create themes or phrases of music which then again creates a part of a
song (verse, chorus etc), which together creates a whole song. I think the
best example of a motif in use is Beethovens 5th symphony, with the four
really characteristic notes, later known as the motif of fate. Take 30 seconds
and listen to the beginning of it, and notice how the motif is presented, and
later developed through the next bars of music. It is actually used 13 times
during only 19 bars, and the entire first movement is built upon it!!

Lets have a quick look at the example. There are 4 notes, G-G-G-Eb. It is
that simple. However, it is probably one of the most important pieces in the

history of classical music. Beethoven stated that the motif was fate knocking
at the door. !

Why should you use motifs in your compositions? If you listen to a lot of great
music throughout time, a lot of them is built upon a motif. The motifs are quite
powerful, because it gives the piece character and identity. When using the
motif throughout the piece, you maintain this characteristic quality, while still
developing the piece. It will have a feeling of unity and wholeness. !
Using motifs is also a great way to get out of the writers block. It may be
really hard to just come up with a melodic phrase on the go, especially if you
are on a tight schedule. With using a motif to begin with, you might quickly get
ideas and get going. !

Now, over to actually composing the motif. To get the most out of this tutorial,
I encourage you to have pen and paper ready, or any other way to notate
your ideas. As you have seen in Beethovens example, the motif may be
ridiculously simple, and still create a masterpiece. Therefore, dont
necessarily try too hard to create the most advanced motif ever, but try to stay
simple. Less is more. !

I have a few methods of coming up with motifs, that I will explain here. Lets
say you have a specific theme in your head, that you want to compose about.
Maybe you are even composing for a film or game. Take that word, pay
attention to how it is natural to say the word out loud, listen to how it sounds.
Then try to transfer this to music. You can also listen to the sound of birds,
people talking, or almost anything else! Remember that the key to a good
motif lies in the simplicity, so there is no need to be overly creative. If you are
starting out, you may just stick to the key of C major or A minor, as I will do in
this course. For this exercise, I made up a motif in about 10 seconds:

It is in a 3/4 time signature, with a duration of 2 bars. Your motif may also be
one bar long, in another key, simpler, slower, faster, it is totally up to you. !

Now that the motif is composed, it is time to develop it into a melodic phrase.
The freedom is endless, but I am going to show you a method that a lot of
popular songs and pieces use, that you may start out with. My guitar teacher
at high school taught me a method of improvising blues during a class. If you
just play random notes in a pentatonic (blues) scale, it will become confusing,
and if you just repeat the same short bending motif again and again, you will
bore the listener to death. This method was a way to maintain a structure
while playing, while still engaging the listener and making it interesting. He
called it presentation, repetition, variation and destruction. What it basically
means, is that you present the motif one time, then repeat it once. Then you
make a little change to the motif, before you destroy it with something
completely different. Not with me yet? Well, just relax and let me explain a
little better.!

Listen:!

Take a look at the picture above. Here I have used my motif, an developed it
using the technique I just presented to you. Presentation, repetition, variation,
destruction. What you may notice, is that I have changed the order a little,
and you are totally free to do this! Now, let me explain how I have used the
technique: The first two bars are simply the motif I created in the last
exercise. The next ones (Variation), are quite similar, but the ending is a little
different. Instead of going up, then down, it is going down, then up. The point
of the variation is to create something that is familiar (similar to the main
motif), but still fresh enough to be interesting. !

Afterwards, I have just repeated my motif. As you

see, there is a small alteration to the ending, as I
have added two 1/8 notes. This is an example of
how you can break these rules freely, as long as you
follow the main structure. It is not a completely similar repetition of the main
motif, but close enough. For the destruction part, you can use your
imagination to create a fitting ending to your phrase. It does not have to be
related to your motif at all, the idea here is to bring in something completely
fresh. There are no rules, just try to make it feel natural. !

As I just mentioned, feel free to experiment with the order of the 4 elements
(Presentation, variation, repetition, destruction). I have changed it here to
Presentation, variation, repetition, destruction. You may also use
Presentation, variation, destruction, repetition. Experiment, and find whats
best for your motif. A lot of songs use this formula, for example (dont hate
me for this) Justin Biebers Baby at the chorus. First the theme baby,
baby, baby ooh is presented, then varied by altering the last note. After that
it is repeated, before it is destroyed by adding an ending to the chorus. If
you listen to a lot of popular and classical music, you might realize that this
kind of structure is really common.!

Lets just have a quick look at another example using motifs in the same way.
If you are familiar with epic orchestral trailer music, I bet you have heard of
Two Steps From Hell. We are going to have a quick look at the motif used in
the main theme of their most popular track, Heart Of Courage:!
This motif is simply made out of one rest three notes playing the beginning of

the A minor scale, A, B, C. Here you can see the entire theme:!
Take a few seconds, and just look at how the motif is used to compose this
theme. Do you see how the motifs rhythm is repeated 3 times, with just a
minor alteration in pitch from time to time? In the last bar, the motif is
destroyed by something completely new (but that still is not too far away
from the motif, resulting in a feeling of wholeness), consisting of four notes

playing a scale in a downwards motion. This is another great example of how

a ridiculously simple motif can result in a extremely successful and popular
theme. !

Another tip I have for writing melodies, is creating a clear top point, a
climax for your melody. As a main rule, your melody should not just go up and
down randomly, without any clear direction. Let me try to explain by looking at
the phrase I made out of the motif in last exercise.!

Do you see how the presentation motif is moving slightly in an upwards

direction? Afterwards, the variation is moving downwards, as a small contrast.
Then the repetition is moving the phrase upwards again, until suddenly, we
reach the highest note. It is a C, an octave over the beginning note of the
phrase, creating a climax to the melody. Do you see where it is placed? It is
not in the beginning, not in the middle. It is more towards the end, taking the
listener on a short journey before we reach the top. Afterwards, the

destruction part is taking the listener safe back to the beginning note, ending
the phrase.!

Let us go back to the Heart Of Courage Example for a moment, and have a
look at the top point in the melody.!

Do you see any similarities to the way I have used my motif above? Here you
see that the melody is reaching the climax at the first note in the last
measure. This is an F, the highest pitch in the entire theme, functioning as a
top point. When writing a melody, try to create such a top point, a climax to
capture the attention of the listener. I find this easy to do in the destruction
part, as you have the freedom to do whatever you wish there. Use your
imagination, experiment and find the solution that works best for you!

Remember, there is no right or wrong when it comes to composing. The tips I

am giving you here are only guidelines, and a way of composing that MIGHT
work for you, especially if you are stuck with the writers block. Never use this
as an ultimate manual for composing, but mix it with your creativity, and you
might get some great results!!

Developing Phrases!

Okay, so now you have a musical phrase ready, consisting of the beautiful
motif you just created. This is your melody, your main theme.
Congratulations, you are one step closer to composing your piece! The next
step now, is to expand on that phrase, and create an entire song section. This
might be the opening of an orchestral piece, verse of a song or whatever else
you want. !

You have just created a short musical phrase, and are ready to create your
song section. Usually, it could consist of 2 or 4 phrases, like popular songs
have a tendency to do. Just as with the motifs, it would be a bad idea to
repeat the same phrase 4 times, just as it would be to completely change it

every time. Remember that the listener should be engaged, and feel that the
melody and song section is a wholeness. So, how can you do this?

What a lot of great music does, is dividing phrases into question and answer
roles. I am going to show you a quick way to use your main theme to create
an entire song section, using question and answer roles. To understand this,
some basic music theoretical knowledge is recommended. I am going to
explain the basics here. Those of you with theoretical knowledge may skip
this.
It is best to sit by the piano or guitar to fully understand this. Take an
instrument of your choice, and play the C major scale (C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C).

Play from C to B, and stop. Do you feel how the B really wants to go to C?
Because of this, the 7th step on the major scale (B in this case), is called the
leading tone. Listen to it a few times. Now, lets look at the three main chords
in the key of C Major.

The most important chords in C major, are those on the 1st, 4th and 5th step.
Those are called the Tonic, Sub-Dominant and Dominant chords. In this case
it is C Major, F Major and G Major. If you are able, play them a few times and
listen closely. Do you recognize anything while playing the G chord? Do you
feel that it leads back to C Major again? Now, take a look at the three notes

making up the G major. Do you recognize anything? If you look closely, you
can see that the B is the third in the G Major, the most characteristic note. As
we experienced, this note leads back to C. Therefore, G Major has a tension
that will be released by resolving to the chord of C Major. Now, let us use this
tension to our advantage! !

!
Remember me talking about question and answering roles? Take a look at
my song section, made up using my main theme:!

!
Listen:
!

I have repeated the theme two times. The first time it has a questioning
function, and the last time an answering one. Do you see which chord I have
used in the ending of the first phrase? G Major (G,B,D), with the melody
landing on the D. As I just said, this creates a tension that needs to be
resolved. This tension has a questioning function, needing an answer.
Therefore I have landed on the note C, the root note of C Major (C,E,G) in the
last phrase. This is resolving the previous tension, and creating an answer.
This technique is used in everything from Mozarts music, to popular music
today. To do this yourself, try to land on the dominant chord in the first phrase.
Make the melody rest on one of the notes in this chord, here G,B or D. In the

second, answering phrase, land on one of the notes in the tonic chord, C
major (C,E,G). Experiment until you are satisfied!!

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Summary!
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Now we have looked at how to use motifs to create interesting and

memorable themes. We have also looked at how you can enhance the impact
of that theme, by creating a climax or top point for your melody. Both those
techniques are very effective, and used by a ton of huge songwriters and
composers around the world. From Beethoven, to Justin Bieber, to Thomas
Bergersen from Two Steps From Hell, motifs play an important role in the
impact of their melodies. We have also briefly looked at how you can use
your theme to create two phrases as building blocks for a song section. This
is done through giving them roles as questions and answers, a technique
used in various genres throughout history. !

All these tips and techniques can be applied to your melodies, to make them
stand out to your listener. And a melody that stands out, will make your
composition or song stand out, being remembered by your listener. However,
I cant stress enough that these are only guidelines, one of MANY techniques
and ways to write melodies. There is no right or wrong way, only the way that
works best for you. Try to apply the information of this book to your melodies,
and experiment with it. Use your creativity, dont be too bound to rules and
formulas. I hope the information presented in this course will help you
improve as a composer and songwriter. Please send me melodies you have
written using techniques from this book, as it would be really interesting and
fun to see your results. Also, give me feedback on the information in this
book, so we together can improve the course for future readers. Good luck! !

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Modal Scales (Bonus Chapter) !

Some of you might get tired of just working with the major and minor scale,
and may want to spice up your composition skills a bit with some fresh
scales. In this chapter we are going to have a brief look at modal scales. New
scales might give a whole new character to your melody, making it stand out
from the rest. But first, what is a modal scale? !

This scale should look familiar to

you. It is the C Major scale, and
can be played on a piano using
only white keys, from C to C. !

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Now, what happens if you play from D to D, E to E, F to F etc, using only

white keys (the same as in C major)? This is called the modes of C. Let me
explain how they work. !

In the C major scale, we have 7 notes. C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. This means

that we have 7 modes of C, 7 different scales based on each of those notes.
From A to A, G to G etc. !
Those seven modes have their own names:
1. Ionian (C to C)!
2. Dorian (D to D)
3. Phrygian (E to E)
4. Lydian (F to F)
5. Mixolydian (G to G)
6. Aeolian (A to A)
7. Locrian (B to B)!

All of those are based on each note in the C major scale.!

Now, let us see how they look. !

1. Ionian (C to C)!

2. Dorian (D to D)

3. Phrygian (E to E)

4. Lydian (F to F)!

5. Mixolydian (G to G)!

6. Aeolian (A to A)!

7. Locrian (B to B)!

!
You might see that the Ionian (C to C) is basically the C major scale, and
this is true. The same goes for Aeolian, which is the same as the A minor
scale. The rest of them might be foreign to you, though. The best way to
experience how those scales work, is to sit down by the piano, and play them.
Notice how they feel, what kind of emotion they evoke. !

To learn more about scales, check out my Music Theory In 5 Minutes:

Scales course!