Understanding compositional methods and music conceptsGetting started - Melody

Some composers begin with a melody. This gives them something to work with. The melody can be original or can be taken from an existing piece of music, although it is important to acknowledge that it is an arrangement of someone else’s work.

The melody is the tune and can set the mood for your piece.

It is important to consider:

• should the melody be in a major or minor key?
• should the melody be repetitive or through composed?
• should the melody be accompanied or unaccompanied? If accompanied, with which instrument? Will I use chords only or create some countermelodies?
• should the melody be fast or slow? Or should the tempo change within the piece?
• what instrument(s) should play the melody? What techniques can these intruments provide to make the melody more interesting and effective?

In this video of Sophie Bevan and The Dunedin Consort, the singer explains how Monteverdi created a melody and accompanied it with a ground bass to represent the sad mood of the aria lyrics. The choice of key and tempo also reflect the text.