A Good Melody: Motives [Composition Corner]Pohttp://www.composecreate.com/a-good-melody-motives-composition-corner

sted on Mar 15, 2011 in Composition Corner, Teaching Composition |

In our Tuesday Composition Corner, we are now discussing the elements of a good melody. Last

week, we talked about melody contour.  This week we’ll talk about the 2nd principle of

constructing a good melody: a good motive.

2.  A good melody has one interesting motive (and sometimes a few more).A motive is a short musical idea.  It is the shortest fragment of a melody which the listener can

identify as a specific melody. Here are some examples of famous motives:

Berstein's "There's a Place for Us"

Beethoven's Fifth

 

 

Because constructing a good motive is so important, it is very valuable to give students a lot of

practice in this area. Recently, we had a studio wide “Cartoon Motive Contest”   which gave

students a fun way to practice composing motives.  I plan to do this again next year as it really

helped hone in the idea of just one great musical idea.  Many teachers are surprised to find out

how difficult it is for a student to come up with a short motive.  The ability to say something

concisely takes practice both in speech and in composing music.  [I’m obviously still doing it in

speech and writing!]

A motive becomes the cornerstone for a composition.  Once a good motive is constructed, it can

be manipulated in many different ways to create an interesting melody.  Some of the ways to

manipulate a motive include:

Repetition – At the original or a different pitch.  Anything important is worth repeating and you’ll

notice that most melodies that you remember have a repeated motive in them. Repeating a

motive once is good, 2 times is great, though it is best to vary the 2nd time, but 4 times is usually

overkill.

Sequence – Try playing your motive several more times starting at a different pitch each time but

keeping the intervals the same

Inversion – Start on the first note of your motive. Does the next note go up a 5th?  Then,

inversion would mean to play the note down a 5th.

Retrograde – Play the motive backwards.  You can try playing the notes backwards with the

rhythm of the forward motive or playing both the notes and rhythm backward.

Retrograde inversion – Invert the backwards motive

Diminution – Make all of your notes half of their original value.

Augmentation – Make all of your notes twice their original value.

Variation – In a variation, some of the main components of the motive are present, but presented

slightly differently (different rhythm, different intervals, etc.)

Contrast – This is arguably not something you do with the original motive, but rather something

you do to contrast with the original motive.  Though it is obviously different material, it should feel

like it is a natural answer to the main motive.

It is a good mini-exercise for a student to try to manipulate their motive in all of these ways. 

Though this is not necessary to create a good composition, it is helpful for them to practice a

variety of techniques to generate enough synchronous content for a melody.  If you are working

with young students, it is best to ask them to only use one of these techniques on their motive at

a time.

To be the best at teaching these techniques, it is helpful to practice identifying these techniques

in other compositions.  Try your hand at identifying the motive in the following melody.  Describe

what the composer does in the notes immediately following the motive.  Does he repeat at the

same or different pitch? Does he invert the motive with a few alterations?  Is his contrasting

material really contrasting or is it derived from the original motive?

Melody from Mozart's Symphony No. 40

 

 

 

 

Grade Six Music Theory Composition; Lesson 2 - Motifs & Melodic Sequences

Motifs

A motif is a short, memorable unit of music. A phrase can be made up of motifs which could be as short as just one or two beats’ worth of music. Typically, motifs are re-used throughout a piece to give a sense of continuity to the music. Although not all pieces of music contain motifs, many many do, and they are a useful weapon to have in your arsenal of compositional techniques! Probably the most famous motif in classical music is the four-note sequence from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony:

 

The motif is repeated many times throughout the first movement. Sometimes the pitch is altered, sometimes it is sped up, but it keeps its character. The character of a motif is usually defined by its rhythm.

When you develop the opening material given in the Grade Six music theory exam, you will need to decide which element is interesting enough or promising enough to work as a motif. You then need to make sure the motif reappears in the rest of the piece enough times for it to become a “characteristic” of your composition.

Examples

Here are some examples of motifs in action. Play them through and notice how the motifs are altered in simple ways in order to give a feeling of continuity with variety.

Our first example comes from the Waltz in A flat by Brahms, Op.39 no.15. The motif is a dotted crotchet followed by three quavers, with the following “rough” melodic shape:

   

All the notes are taken from the chords which make up the underlying harmony. The melodic shape of the motif is pretty constant too – the first two quavers are lower in pitch than the crotchet, and are repeated, and the final quaver is the same pitch as the crotchet (or close enough).

Here are the first eight bars. (Try to listen to the whole piece – you will notice the motif occurs throughout.) The motif occurs 5 times here, and then a final time in the 8th bar as a linking sequence into the next phrase. (Note – you only need to write a single line of melody for the Grade Six music theory exam.)

     

Our second example is from Rachmaninov’s Prelude for Piano Op.23 no.5. The motif is a rhythmic unit: quaver – semiquaver – semiquaver – quaver. It is usually made up of the notes of the underlying chord. The first quaver is stressed and forms part of the melody. The other three notes are repeated and are of a higher pitch and form part of the accompaniment. Here are the first 5 and a bit bars:

Melodic Sequences

A melodic sequence is a series of notes which is repeated but with a different starting note. The basic intervals between consecutive notes are kept the same. Usually all the notes are taken from the scale which forms the key of the piece, and therefore they aren’t “chromatically altered” in any way – which means we don’t see any sharps or flats added. Sometimes however, chromatic alteration does take place. We’ll take a look at both types of sequence.

Here’s a simple melodic fragment of five notes:

The melodic interval between notes 1 and 2 is a second. Actually it’s a major second, but we don’t need to worry

about that too much right now. We can write out all the intervals between consecutive notes: 1-2=2nd ; 2-3=3rd ; 3-4=2nd ; 4-5=3rd . Next we will change the starting note – let’s pick G. We then write out the melody again, based on those intervals, but still keeping to the notes available in F major:

This is a “diatonic” melodic sequence. This means that the notes are chosen to fit in with the scale, rather than to be an exact match of intervals. Why so? When we examine the “quality” (e.g. major/minor…) of the intervals, we’ll see that they are different.

 

Notes 1-2 Notes 2-3 Notes 3-4 Notes 4-5

Starting on F Major 2nd Minor 3rd Minor 2nd Major 3rd

Starting on G Major 2nd Minor 3rd Major 2nd Minor 3rd

 

The interval quality has changed from notes 3-5. This gives the sequence a slightly different character to the original, but of course in many respects it is the same. This simple modification makes a new fragment of music which has both continuity with and variety from the original material.

What happens if we try to match up the intervals exactly? We get a “chromatic” sequence instead of a “diatonic” one. We need to add in some accidentals in order to preserve the interval “quality”, and these accidentals will usually have the effect of making the music change key. This is also known as “modulation”. Here’s what happens when we match the intervals exactly:

The only change we needed to make was to sharpen the Bb up to a B natural. But because B natural doesn’t occur in the scale of F major, we sense that the music is changing key. We feel as though G is the new tonic, and that therefore the music has modulated to G major.

Play these two 4-bar extracts, and notice how the first seems to stay firmly rooted in F major, but the second appears to modulate to G major:

Hopefully by now you’ve got an impression of how useful melodic sequences are in composition. Sequences are hugely powerful devices when it comes to developing musical ideas. They allow you to easily write connected but contrasting fragments of music, and with a simple tweak here or there they can be used to make your music change key in the bat of an eye! You will notice that diatonic sequences are a lot more common than chromatic ones, as you would expect.

Examples

We will finish this unit with an example of a diatonic and a chromatic sequence. Whenever you are playing any music at all however, you should take a moment to stop and look carefully at what has been written, and see if you can spot any sequences in action. See if you can work out whether they are diatonic or not, and if they are chromatic, what key do they lead to?

Our first example is from the opening of Mozart’s Piano Sonata no.14 K457 in C minor. It is a diatonic sequence, played first from the tonic and then from the dominant note (G in C minor). Other minor changes (marked by arrows in the extract) take place along the way.

Chromatic sequences are a lot less common than diatonic ones. However, you probably know this famous example, from the song “Do – Re – Mi” from the musical “The Sound of Music”.

 

The sequence consists of a 2-bar phrase. It starts with the first six notes of the C major scale, ending with a major 2nd. The next two bars form an exact chromatic sequence – the starting note is one tone higher and the six

notes are from the scale of D major, with the F sharpened with an accidental. The third instance of the sequence is almost the same (up a tone, E major scale for the first five notes),

but it ends with a minor 2nd interval, so technically this one is a diatonic sequence.

Read more: B2. Composition - Motifs & Sequences - My Music Theory http://www.mymusictheory.com/grade6/lessons/b2-composition-motifs-a-sequences.html#ixzz2KsbMmdf2

7. How to Compose

You’ve now studied the basics of how compositions are made. The next step is to combine all these elements together and begin to craft your own compositions.

At this point we need to stress that you are composing as part of a music theory exam – not for a composition exam! In order to get a high score, you need to demonstrate that you know how a composition is structured and by putting theory into practice. You don’t get high marks for showing a lot of imagination or by breaking away from the established rules. As in most areas of art, you need to learn the rules before you break them.

So the best way to begin your composition is by reviewing the given opening, and then making a plan. After that you can do the composing, then finish off by polishing.

Reviewing the given opening

Check the key and time signature of the opening. Look at the rhythms, motifs and sequences and decide which elements are characteristic of the piece. Check the length. It will usually be two full bars, but not always.

Making a Plan

Decide on the overall length of your composition. Decide on the length of the antecedent and consequent phrases. Decide whether you will include an

interpolation section. Plan your modulations (if any). Plan your cadences.

You’re now ready to compose!

Composing

Make minor modifications to the given material to complete the antecedent phrase. Think about sequencing and reusing motifs. Try to use 2-bar sections.

Make sure your melody fits a suitable cadence (and possible modulation) at the end of the antecedent phrase.

Make minor modifications to the antecedent phrase to make the consequent phrase. Don’t forget to include an interpolation if you want to. Make sure the consequent phrase ends on a perfect cadence in the right key.

Polishing

Double check that the instrument which you’ve written for can actually play the notes you’ve written. This shouldn’t be a problem unless you’ve written very low or very high notes. Don’t forget that the flute and oboe cannot play lower than middle C.

Add in performance instructions. You should indicate the dynamics, phrasing and articulation and maybe also expression. Articulation is especially important for all wind instruments – the players need to know whether each note should be attacked with the tongue or not. Use phrase marks to show which notes should be played in one breath or sweep of the bow. Make sure your wind player has somewhere to breath! Add bowing marks to string music.

Double check that you have not made any silly mistakes like writing the wrong number of beats in a bar. In particular, if the piece started on an up-beat, make sure the last bar contains the right number of beats.

Sing your melody through in your head, quite slowly. Make any adjustments or improvements which seem necessary.

Example Answers With Commentary

“Continue this opening to form a complete melody for unaccompanied flute. It should end with a modulation to the relative minor and should be between eight and ten bars long. Add performance directions as appropriate.”

1. Review the Opening.

It’s in A major. (The question tells us to modulate to the relative minor, so we know it must be major!) It’s in 4/4 time. The first bar is basically a falling tonic triad with an added B as a passing note. There is a leap of an

octave. The second bar moves by step for the first two beats, then there is a falling perfect 4th. The section is 2 bars long. The next section will start on the last beat of the bar. The final bar will have

three beats in it.

2. Make a plan

I will decide to write a 10-bar composition. The antecedent phrase will be 4 bars long, and the consequent will be 6 bars and contain an interpolation section.

The music has to modulate to F# minor by the end. The given opening appears to end on a V chord, so the antecedent should probably end on I, in order to

prevent repetition. I will make the music modulate in bar 9. D major is a pivot chord, because it is IV in A major, and VI in

F# minor. The end of the piece will be a perfect cadence, C# major to F# minor. I can write out my plan like this:

 

Notice how the piece is now completely structured, with ordered phrase and section lengths, sensible cadences and a suitable modulation. When you are awarded points in the Grade Six music theory exam, this is what the examiner will be looking for. Having a pretty tune is an advantage of course, but the foundation of your composition is what matters most.

3. Composing

First I need to complete the antecedent phrase.

Because the first bar was I, and the phrase will end on V, I’ll use notes which are part of the chord IV to add some variety - I’ll invert (turn upside down) the sequence from bar 2 using the notes of the D major chord.

I’ll then add a big leap of a 10th up to high C#, in an echo of the octave leap in bar 1. This is a piece for flute, which is quite at home playing in that register.

I’ll start the section after a quaver rest, which will give the flautist a chance to catch her breath.

Next I’ll take the motif from the first beat of bar 1 and write a sequence which starts one step lower down the scale. This means my section ends on G# which also fits chord V, making the cadence at the end of the phrase imperfect.

 

The next section is the start of the consequent phrase. I need to develop the material from section A first.

Again I give the flute player a quaver rest. I’ll start the next section on G#, because the previous section started on a repeated note after the rest (E).

I use the same rhythm from bar 1, and use the notes from the same chord (I). However, in bar 1 the figure starts on C#, so I’ll start on A for variety. Instead of leaping up an octave, I’ll go up a 5th to A, so that I can sequence bar 5 a 3nd higher than bar 2.

 

Next comes the interpolation. There should be in increase in drama, so I’ll make the melody continue to rise. I can do this by putting the opening up one octave starting on the E.

Again, instead of the octave leap, I’ll put a leap of a 4th, which is similar to the end of bar 5. This is also helpful, because it suggests the chord of D major, which is the pivot chord we need in order to modulate to F# minor.

 

Finally we need to write the last section based on section B.

We assume that chord IV in A major is now VI in F# minor. We need the notes in the next bar to fit chord V (C# minor), so that we can incorporate a perfect cadence and also to include the E# which will help to fix the new key.

I’ll sequence bar 3. I invert the first half of the bar.

The second half of the bar is similar in that it’s a falling triad. At this point I add the octave leap (up to C#).

The final bar is a sequence of bar 4.

 

4. Polishing

All the notes would be easy to play on a flute. However, I need to look carefully at the end of each section. In some places there is a quaver rest, in others there is not. We need to be consistent, while bearing in mind that the player needs to breathe. Since the first note of the piece is a crotchet, I think it will be better to start both phrases with a crotchet. However, I can begin the two section Bs with a quaver. I need to change bars 4 and 8 accordingly.

I need to add some phrasing, articulation, dynamics and breath marks. I will try to keep the phrasing and articulation of similar sequences the same throughout. The piece will start loud, become softer, then crescendo during interpolation, finishing again quite loud. I use commas to show suggested breathing places.

 

Read more: B7. Composition - How to Compose - My Music Theory http://www.mymusictheory.com/grade6/lessons/b7-composition-how-to-compose.html#ixzz2KsbxpCrp

Instrument or Voice?Choosing whether to compose for an instrument or a voice will depend on several things:

If English isn’t your first language, you may have some extra difficulties writing effectively to a text. If you don’t know much about either of the instruments offered, you would do better to choose the voice

question. If you’re a pianist and don’t play an orchestral instrument, you might find the voice question easier.

In any case, you should practise both types of question before you take the exam. You will soon find out if one type of question is more difficult for you. Here's a little more information about each question type:

Writing for an InstrumentYou’ll be given the first two bars of a melody, with the key and time signature. (It could be in treble clef or bass clef).

The instructions will ask you to choose from two instruments and to continue writing the melody for the instrument you’ve chosen. The choice of instruments will be from different families, for example the violin and oboe, or the bassoon and cello. (There is no wrong answer - choose the instrument you are most comfortable with.)

Here's an example question:

 

Compose a complete melody for unaccompanied violin or flute, using the given opening. Indicate the tempo and other performance directions, including any that might be particularly required for the instrument chosen. The complete melody should be eight bars long.

Instrument for which the melody is written: ...............................

Writing for VoiceYou’ll be given the first two lines of text, taken from poetry, and two blank staves. The instructions will ask you to write a complete melody for solo voice to fit the words of the text: you can choose whichever voice (soprano, alto, tenor or bass) you prefer.

 

You don’t have to say which voice you’ve chosen, but you will have to keep the melody within the normal range of one voice, and use the appropriate clefs, (see “Lesson 9: Notating for Voices – SATB” for more about this). Here's an example question (from the 2006 exam paper):

 

Compose a complete melody to the following words for a solo voice. Write each syllable under the note or notes to which it is to be sung. Also indicate the tempo and other performance directions as appropriate.

The river glares in the sun

Like a torrent of molten glass.

Effective ComposingYou might think that writing a melody without being able to hear it is impossible - but did you know that Beethoven wrote most of his great music when he was completely deaf?! Luckily, no one is asking you to write a 4-movement symphony - you only have to write a single melody line for 8 bars. But where do you start?

 

Every piece of music has two vital elements - rhythm and melody. On top of that, cadences give harmonic shape to a melody, and should also be considered when composing. Also important are performance directions, which are words or symbols that help the musician interpret the notes they are reading. We’ll look at each of these in turn.

 

Balance is also important: your melody should usually be 8 bars long, so you should break it down into two parts or "phrases", (this is called binary form). The first phrase will be bars 1-4, and the second phrase will be bars 5-8. If you like, you can then divide each phrase into 2, giving you four short 2-bar phrases. We can call these four phrases 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b.

 

Let's look at rhythm, melody, cadences and performance directions in more detail.

 

RhythmI want you to forget about melody for now, so in the following examples I’m going to use a one-line stave, so that we can focus on rhythm only.

 

Here are the opening bars (phrase 1a and 1b) of some well-known tunes, notated in rhythm only:

 

1. British National Anthem: 

2. Beethoven Symphony no.5, 1st movement 

3. Happy Birthday to You/Star Spangled Banner 

4. New York, New York 

What do they all have in common? They each have a rhythmic phrase which is repeated to create phrase 1b. You don’t have to write your second phrase with exactly the same rhythm as the first, but it should be quite similar.

 

Look at how I’ve altered the second phrase of those four extracts, (tap out the rhythms on the table as you read them!)

1.

2.

3.

4.

What kind of changes did I make?

Extract 1: I swapped around the rhythm in bars 3 and 4.

Extract 2: I changed 2 quavers (eighth notes) into 4 semiquavers (sixteenth notes).

Extract 3: I changed a crotchet (quarter note) into a quaver (eighth note).

Extract 4: I changed the semibreve (whole note) into a short, syncopated rhythm.

 

You can change the rhythm of phrase 1a in any number of ways; the important thing is not to change it too much!

 

The same guidelines apply when you create phrases 2a and 2b - keep the rhythms similar, but make small changes:

You could write 2a with the same rhythm as 1a, and 2b the same as 1b. You could write 2a like 1b, and 2b like 1a.

There are no rules, except that there must be some connection and some similarity between the rhythms - don’t write a completely different rhythm for each of your four phrases!

MelodyJust like rhythms, melodies sound good if they contain repeated sequences. Do you know this children’s song? (It’s called Fr?re Jacques.)

This song simply repeats both the rhythm and melody in bars 1 and 3 to create bars 2 and 4. But if you look more closely, you’ll see that the melody in 1b (E-F-G) is the same as the first three notes of the melody in 1a (C-D-E)- but a third higher.

 

This is an example of a melodic imitation: a section of melody which is repeated at a different interval. However, Fr?re Jacques is probably not the most interesting song in the world, so let’s look at another example!

 

This is the “Gloria” chorus from the Christmas carol Ding Dong Merrily on High!:

The rhythm of each bar is the same, but the melody is in sequences, with each bar starting one step down in the key of G major.

 

There are several types of sequence which you can use to generate new melodic phrases, so let's look at them in more detail.

Sequences

This is the bar we’re going to sequence.

 

Imitation

Change the starting note but keep all the relative intervals the same:

This sequence starts a 2nd higher.

This one starts a 5th higher

Inversion

Turn the melody upside down:

Retrograde

Write the melody back to front:

Retrograde Inversion

Upside down and back to front:

Augmentation

Double the note values:

Diminution

Halve the note values:

 

Of course, you can combine any of the above types of sequence.

 

Your new melody should be a mix of your own ideas and some imitation of what’s already there - your new ideas need to be linked to the two bars you’ve already been given. Be inventive, but don’t stray too far away!

 

(By the way, don’t worry about remembering all the names of the different types of sequences; you won’t be tested on them!)

 

Cadences(See Lesson 11 for basic information about cadences.)

Although you are only writing a single line of music, you should keep in mind the chords that could accompany your melody.

 

In a short, 8-bar tune, the end of the first phrase will often (but not always) end on an imperfect cadence. This means that the end of the phrase would sound good if it was played with chord V. The chord which comes before V is up to you, but common imperfect cadences are I-V, II-V, IV-V and VI-V. Make sure that the notes which end your first phrase fit into one of these cadence chords.

 

The end of the second phrase should end with either a perfect or a plagal cadence. A perfect cadence is V-I and a plagal cadence is IV-I. Perfect cadences are more common, and they sound more final than plagal cadences. Plagal cadences are common in religious music (but don’t let that put you off!) You should always end your composition with a tonic note, sustained for at least a crotchet's (quarter note's) length.

 

Make sure the notes you have chosen for your melody fit the cadences at these points. (Don’t forget that your passing notes won’t be included in the chord).

ModulationYou can make a stronger sounding cadence if you make your music modulate (change key). If you start writing a piece in G major, and you want to finish the first phrase on chord V, this means you will make your music modulate into the key of D major, (because D is the fifth note in the scale of G). Remember that the only note in D major which isn’t in G major, is C sharp. So if you include a C sharp, your music will have modulated into D major.

 

If you include a modulation in your first phrase, you must make sure that you modulate back to the tonic (original key) by the time you get to the end of the piece. If you modulated from G major to D major by including a C sharp, make sure that you use a C natural in the second phrase, so that the key of G major is clearly re-established.

(You don’t have to include modulations for Grade 5 Theory, but you might get more points for your answer if you manage to do it successfully!)

Performance DirectionsWhatever instrument/voice you’re writing for, you will need to include performance directions for the player/singer.

You must include:

Tempo  (speed). Use the accepted Italian terms. Dynamics  (volume). Indicate a starting dynamic, and indicate gradual increase/decrease of volume with

hairpins. Articulation (instrumental music=attack). Adding the right articulation indications will increase the

marks you get for this question - but make sure you use them in the right places and don’t overdo it. (See the next lesson for more on this.)

 

Top TipsMy best tip is to keep in your mind that a little goes a long way. Do a little imitation, a little inversion, add a few directions to the player - but be sparing.

Take a look at some of the music you’re playing right now- just how many directions can you find in the space of 8 bars? Not many, I’d guess!

If you try to write something very complicated, you’re more likely to get into a mess. Keep it clean and simple, but make sure you do add some directions, which are both relevant and meaningful.

 

How can I learn to hear my compositions in my head?Get into the habit of hearing music in your head. You’ll find this question much easier if you can accurately pinpoint the notes you’re writing, (you won’t be able to sing them out loud in the exam room!)

 

Everyone can hear music in their heads (sometimes you get a tune going round and round in there that you can’t get rid of), but learning to hear in your head what your eyes are seeing is a little harder. Take some music which you haven’t studied yet and try to read it without playing/singing it. Don’t panic - the more you practice, the easier it will get.

 

Start off with just 2-4 bars, and build it up as you become more confident. Choose music that moves in small steps, not in big intervals, and without lots of accidentals. Check what was in your head by playing the bars on your instrument. Were they the same?

 

Gradually move on to more complicated music- with difficult key signatures, tricky rhythms and huge leaps. Learning the skill of hearing music in your head also helps your sightreading a lot!

 

You might find it easier if you make some kind of physical reaction as you read - if you can sing, you might feel your voice-box subconsciously changing as you change notes; if you play an instrument it might help if let your fingers move on an imaginary instrument.

 

Composer's ChecklistHere’s a checklist to use while you’re doing practice questions. (See Lessons 13 and 14 for more details).

Click here to print a copy of the table.

 

All Tempo

Dynamics

Phrasing

Double bar at end

Range of notes fits

Cadences (1st=V, 2nd=I)

Imitation/Sequences

Modulation (optional)

Wind InstrumentsArticulation

Breathing

String InstrumentsArticulation

Bowing

Voice

Breathing (phrasing)

Clef, Key and Time

Syllables ok

Word Painting

Style

Read more: 12. Composing a Melody: General Tips - My Music Theory http://www.mymusictheory.com/grade5/lessons/12-composing-a-melody-general-tips.html#ixzz2KscLbLfc

Grade Five Music Theory - Lesson 13: Composing a Melody - Instruments

The Grade Five Music Theory Composition QuestionIn your Grade Five Music Theory exam, you’ll be given the first two bars of a melody, with the key and time signatures. (It could be in treble clef or bass clef.)

The instructions will ask you to choose from two instruments and to continue writing the melody for the instrument you’ve chosen.

(There is no wrong answer- choose the instrument you are most comfortable with).

The choice of instruments will be from different families, for example the violin and oboe, or the bassoon and cello.

You will never have to write for an instrument on which we usually play several notes at the same time, like the piano, harp or organ.

 

 

 

 

Here’s an example question:

 

Compose a melody for unaccompanied violin or oboe, using the given opening. Indicate the tempo and other performance directions, including any that might be particularly required for the instrument chosen. The complete melody should be eight bars long.

Choosing an InstrumentIt’s a good idea to choose an instrument that you know something about! If you play the clarinet and you have the choice of bassoon or cello, you’ll probably write a better melody for the bassoon, as it is also a wind instrument.

 

If you choose to write for a string instrument, you will need to include bowing notation, (specific instructions for using the bow).

 

If you write for a wind instrument, you should include articulation (slurred, tongued, staccato…) and breathing indications - clarinet players can play very long phrases without needing a breath, but flute players can’t.

 

Whichever instrument you choose, you will need to know its range, i.e. what its lowest and highest notes are. As long as you don’t start using lots of ledger lines you should stay within the range required, but don’t forget that some instruments are less/more effective in different registers. For example, although the flute can play from middle C, this first octave is quite weak and much less bright than octave above. (Don’t forget to write which instrument you have chosen on your exam paper!)

 

If neither of the instruments offered are very familiar to you, you might be better off choosing the alternative question- writing a melody for voices, (see “Lesson 14: Composing a Melody for Voices ”).

 

Melody LengthThe melody should be 8 bars in total. You usually get 2 bars to start you off, so you will have to write 6. Notice whether the melody starts with a complete bar or not - if it starts with an incomplete bar, then your last bar should make up the beats, (so you’ll finish up with 7 complete bars and 2 incomplete bars). Don’t forget to finish with a double barline!

Performance DirectionsWhatever instrument you’re writing for, you will need to include performance directions for the player. You must include:

 

Tempo (speed). Use the accepted Italian or German terms.   Dynamics (volume). Indicate a starting dynamic (e.g. FF ), and indicate gradual increase/decrease of

volume with hairpins e.g. 

Articulation(attack). (See below). Adding the right articulation indications will increase the marks you get for this question - but make sure you use them in the right places and don’t overdo it!

 

Wind InstrumentsArticulation

Wind instruments usually play

 

legato (mark with a slur)  , or

 

tongued (no marking needed), or

 

staccato (small dot) 

Breathing

Wind players will need somewhere to breathe - either write a rest about half way through (or more frequently), or indicate places where the player can grab a quick intake of air by using a small comma -

above the stave.

Keep in mind the tempo you’ve indicated, and remember that although clarinet players can play without breathing in for quite a long time, flute players can’t!

 

String InstrumentsArticulation

String writing can include up-bow and down-bow markings, (which are always placed above the stave).

 Up-bow marking

 Down-bow marking

 

Other techniques include spiccato (bouncing the bow lightly on the string), legato (played with a full bow),and portato (sounding the note for about 3/4 of the length of the notated value). For more on string terminology, click here.

 

Notes with a legato slur are usually played with one stroke of the bow:

 

String instruments are capable of playing more than one note at the same time (this is called "double-stopping") - but don’t attempt to write this unless you know the instrument in question well.

Read more: 13. Composing a Melody for Instruments - My Music

Theory http://www.mymusictheory.com/grade5/lessons/13-composing-a-melody-for-instruments.html#ixzz2KscWjVPb

rade Six Music Theory Composition:  Lesson 1 - Architecture in Music

How Compositions are Built

You wouldn’t try to build a house from scratch without first looking at a lot of different types of building, and without reading up on the techniques of house construction. Similarly, it’s a good idea to begin learning about composition by examining other people’s work and studying the techniques they used. If you compose without thinking about technique, you’re unlikely to score a high mark in your Grade Six music theory exam!

We’ll start by looking at the overall structure of a piece of music. The ABRSM book “Music Theory in Practice Grade Six” tells us that “music, unlike noise, is the result of planned use of sounds, ordered and controlled to make a logical progression”. This is really crucial – an unplanned composition will generally sound random and pointless and sometimes downright irritating!

We can compare music to language in many ways. If we think about language, the smallest units we have at our disposal are the individual letters of the alphabet. We can arrange and group the letters to make words. We can’t just stick any old letters together if we want our words to be meaningful! We arrange words into sentences, and sentences into paragraphs. We could write out the possible progression like this:

Letter > Word > Clause > Sentence > Paragraph > Chapter > Book > Series etc.

In music, we start with a note. We combine small numbers of notes together to make a motif. We might combine motifs in a couple of sections, which together make up a phrase. A couple of phrases will make a sentence and a bunch of sentences will make up a section (of a different type!) A handful of sections could comprise a movement, and three or four movements can make up a piece.

Note > Motif > Section > Phrase > Sentence > Section > Movement > Piece etc.

In the same way that in language the structure has some flexibility (not all books have chapters, for example), musical forms also vary a lot. Some parts are indispensable however – there are no words without letters, and there are no motifs without notes.

In the Grade Six music theory exam, you will have a choice of composition questions. You can either write:

a melody which forms a complete piece, or one which is a section of a larger piece.

The composition techniques are more or less the same though, whichever option you choose. You will need to pay close attention to the wording of the question.

“Complete piece” means that

your composition ends at the last bar you write, and has to end on the tonic of the original key.

“Complete melody” means that

we can assume the piece will continue with more music after what you’ve written, and it usually ends in key related to the original, for example the dominant.

Structure

A typical eight-bar melody is divided up into two phrases, each of four bars. The first phrase is the antecedent and the answering phrase is the consequent. Each phrase might be further subdivided into two two-bar sections.

Each section normally contains connected motifs or melodic sequences of notes. The similarity of these “musical words”, and the harmony underlying them, is what gives the melody a feeling of coherence – it is not just a random series of notes.

It’s important to remember that a phrase does not have to start on the first beat of the bar. But each phrase will contain the same number of strong beats.

Examples

Here are some examples of eight-bar melodies. (Click the green button to play the audio.) Each eight-bar melody is made up of two complementary phrases. Notice how, in each case, the melody is developed from the material in the first two bars by means of simple changes.

Our first example is from Mozart’s Piano Sonata no. 3, K. 281. 

              

The antecedent phrase is from bars 1-4, and the consequent phrase is from bars 5-8. Each phrase is sub-divided into two sections (bars 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8). The first section in both phrases begins with a dotted quaver trill followed by two sextuplet groups. The first section of the second phrase begins an octave lower than that of the first phrase, but is

identical in every other way. The second section in each phrase contains some rhythmic material which is the same (the

demisemiquaver rhythm) and some which is different. In bar 3, the harmony on the first beat of the bar is IV-I. In contrast, in bar 7 the chord is ii. Both phrases end with perfect cadences. The semiquaver figure in bar 8 belongs, in fact, to the next phrase.  These are simply decorative linking

notes.

 

Our second example is from a piece called “Rigaudon” by Handel. 

          

 

The  first section of the antecedent and consequent phrases is identical, except for the dynamics. The second section of the first phrase contains a quaver sequence, whereas the second section of the

second phrase re-uses the quaver-quaver-crotchet rhythm from the first section. The first phrase ends with an imperfect cadence I-V. The second phrase ends with a modulation to the dominant – D major. This is a perfect cadence.

 

Our final example comes from a Waltz by Schubert. This melody is actually the second 8-bar section of the piece, and it leads on to another contrasting section. It is a “complete melody” in itself, however.

                  

The first section of each phrase has the same rhythm, but the final minim is different, which means the harmony will also be different.

The first section of the first phrase ends on the dominant of B minor (F# major). The first section of the second phrase ends on the dominant of D major (A major), which is the relative major key.

Bar 7 re-uses the rhythm of bar 4, with a different melodic shape. The final three quavers are decorative linking notes which belong to the next phrase. The modulation to the relative major key is helped by the A natural in bar 6. The harmonic B minor scale

uses A#, but A natural is in D major.

Read more: B1. Composition - Architecture - My Music Theory http://www.mymusictheory.com/grade6/lessons/b1-composition-architecture.html#ixzz2KsdmzQiY

Adding Accidentals and Chromatics

Creating Phrases

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THE EVERYTHING MUSIC COMPOSITION BOOK WITH CDBy Eric StarrBuy This Book

Music Composition Sections

Top 10 Things You Will Learn From This Book

Before You Begin

History of Composition

Composition in Popular Music

The Elements of Music

Pitch and Scales

Exploring Harmony

Basic Melodic Construction

Combining Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm

Texture and Mood in Music

Telling a Story

Musical Forms

Writing for the Piano

Writing for Singers

Writing for Guitars and Electronic Media

Writing Contemporary Jazz

Writing for Strings

Writing for Wind Instruments

Writing for Drums and Percussion

The Orchestra

Essential Composers

Resource Guide