4 Tips for Writing Great Melodies

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Writing that 'perfect' Melody is a lifelong pursuit for many composers. In this video I go through 4 of my favourite tips for writing Melodies, including the use of motives, making sure to include a mixture of steps and leaps, making sure your melody has a clear high point, while limiting the overall range.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:27 - Tip 1 - Start with a short Motive
04:06 - Tip 2 - Using both Steps and Leaps
05:48 - Tip 3 - Have a highest point
07:13 - Tip 4 - Limiting the overall range
08:10 - Outro
Ed Sheeran Photo (at 08.27) by Eva Rinaldi, Creative CommonsAttribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

[@spokansas]

Great to see a new video! Improving composing by steps and leaps with the occasional tasteful bound!

[@composingacademy8270]

Haha! Thank you for watching!

[@seventearsofhope]

Welcome back! Happy to see a new video!

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you! Yes it has been a while hasn't it.....

[@igorzontaz]

I'm glad you're back, I really like your videos and the way you teach. Hugs from Brazil!

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you!

[@wpaganperez]

Thanks! Great tips.

[@composingacademy8270]

Glad it was helpful!

[@avpmarvel8717]

What a coincidence I am searching for how to write good melodies. Thank you ❤ Composing Academy 😊

[@composingacademy8270]

Haha! Hopefully you'll find the video useful....thanks for watching!

[@bobmeeks4033]

Another great video. Thank you!

[@composingacademy8270]

So pleased you enjoyed it, thank you for watching!

[@Krzychu3005]

Pure gold

[@composingacademy8270]

Appreciate it, thank you for watching!

[@StefanoCasavecchia]

Thank you for your videos. Very interesting!

[@composingacademy8270]

My pleasure - thank you for watching!

[@ToniHennig]

Love your channel,great content.

[@composingacademy8270]

So pleased you enjoy the content, thank you for watching!

[@DanieleMiani-bp3qn]

I'm SO happy you came back! it's been ages since the last video❤ by the way idk if it's just my problem but i don't get newsletters anymore😢 Anyway, i love your videos❤❤❤

[@composingacademy8270]

Haha, thank you! Yes it has been a long time ☺. Thanks for letting me know re the newsletter....I'll look into it!

[@BComposer]

Great!

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you, really appreciate it!

[@benwaveproducer]

Very useful tips, thank you

[@composingacademy8270]

I'm glad it was helpful - thanks for watching!

[@TJ-fv9vs]

Thanks for sharing, it's very helpful! 😊 Are there perhaps books on this topic that you recommend? It would be great for such a book to start from the basics, like musical notation, concepts like pitch, etc, and then move on to the creative topic you discussed in this video 😊 Thanks, and in any case I'm looking forward to your next videos!

[@jayantjrathod]

Nice Video Thank You 😊

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you for your comment and for watching!

[@sewnixltdofficial7687]

I really enjoyed this video. I found it incredibly helpful and inspiring. I was wondering if you could create a similar video analyzing the song "Over the Horizon 2015" by Samsung. I think it would be fascinating to see your approach to breaking down the melodies in that piece and how it can serve as a learning example.

[@composingacademy8270]

Great suggestion! I will take a look, thank you.

[@MathewR2R]

i'm glad you remembered the channel password to post video 😂

[@Keroser1983]

AMAZING!!!!

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you so much!

[@ChrisZemdegs]

Thanks so much

[@composingacademy8270]

You're welcome, thank you for watching!

[@ThePaulwarner]

Pleasantly surprised seeing you suggested to me after a while! One thing I’m not sure if you touched on would be repeating the same note rather than movement ..

[@composingacademy8270]

yes absolutely, repeating a note or the pitches of the motive could be another way as well

[@yashwanth2007]

The was just awesome sir. Can You please tell the Piano Vst you have used for demo?

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you so much - it was the Grand Piano from Keyscape

[@sinafarshidfarmusic]

More videos like this please 🙏

[@composingacademy8270]

Yes more are definitely planned!

[@CharalambosMichaelides-mb9ts]

I like and I love your videos bro

[@EdokLock]

Welcome Back 😊

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you!

[@LewisPassos-gq9yn]

Hello mate, how's it going? I'm studying a BA (Hons) Animation Course online at Buckinghamshire New University, and also want to use composing as an extra hobby. I was wondering if you could like a tutorial on how to write like Carl W. Stalling.

[@FreakieFan]

If you want to write a great melody, starting with a chord progression first is one of the worst things you can do. That will only limit you into thinking about chord tones, instead of where the melody naturally wants to go.

[@JosiahFickinger]

Right. Thank God for Copyright expirations. Otherwise we'd run out of good melodies that have already been used

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you for your feedback. I've tried lots of times in the past to write a melody before harmonising, but I found, for me, my melodies always lacked direction and just seemed to meander. Thank you for the suggestion!

[@snarf1504]

Or write the bass and melody at the same time. Ensures good independence of the voices as well.

[@quiettimemusic4697]

I find making the chords first works best for me. Everyone has their own workflow.

[@FreakieFan]

@@quiettimemusic4697 sure, it’s also easier that way. But it will result in a more generic melody, guaranteed

[@fathuman]

Motive? Don't you mean motif?

[@composingacademy8270]

My understanding is that both 'Motive' and 'Motif' can be used interchangeably. One of my favourite composing books is Alan Belkin's 'Musical Composition' where he uses the term 'Motive'.

[@kierenmoore3236]

Motif is clearer, for obvious reasons … so, why not be clear(er) … Why do people have to be difficult 😏

[@BUY_YOUTUB_VIEWS_d0dd110]

Best wishes from London 🌴☀️