The Briefing:

Melody is the arrangement of single notes in sequence. Melodies can be simple, complex, or repetitive. Melody can move in steps, skips, and leaping motion. The harmony or chords of a song can lead the melody, or the melody can lead the harmony or chords. Melody is often the most recognizable part of the music.

In the Field:

Listen to to the following clips of composition where melody plays an important role. How do these melodies make use of repetition, steps, or leaps?

Testing Grounds:

On BeepBox or Flat.io, create a one bar melody which is moving in mostly upward motion.

On BeepBox or Flat.io, create a one bar melody which is moving in mostly downward motion.

Repeat these steps over two and four measures.

Resources:

Random Melody Generator

BeepBox

Flat.io

Side Quest:
Characters can have their own unique melodic themes-think Darth Vader, or Super Mario. These smaller melodies which return whenever we see the character are referred to as motifs.

-Create a motif to be used throughout the game or animation!

Industry Voice:

If you like, listen to the following people working in the industry describe how to use melody.

How do you use melody in your compositions?