How to write a MELODY using Melodic Manipulation

This lesson focuses on how to take a small Motif and using Melodic Manipulation techniques turn it into a full 4 or 8-bar phrase. This is a great way to overcome writers' block while keeping your melody sounding cohesive from start to finish.
For inquiries into private lessons email me at [e-mail]
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Website: www.jgiuntamusic.com/
0:00 Intro
7:00 Let's examine these techniques in the Melody from Swan Lake and In the Hall of Mountain King
10:55 Walk through the composition process step-by-step
Here is a link to my lesson on Non-Chord Tones:
• How to use Non-Chord T...
Here is a link to my quick guide to Diminished Chords:
• Music Theory Shorts | ...
and here is the full lesson on Diminished Chords:
• Diminished Chords | Ho...
Chromaticus Music LLC

[@greekoreo]

How do you not have more subscribers? This video is amazing: you explained what you were going to do at the start, did it, and wonderfully at that. When you blow up Ill be one of the ogs. Keep it up.

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thanks so much!!

[@matthewchunk3689]

I subscribed. Thank you for your channel! @@chromaticusmusic

[@don234561]

I started watching and found the content very good. However, despite a couple of attempts, I cannot cope with all the metalwork. So, sadly, I just cannot cope with it. But, I agree that the content deserves more subscribers. I almost feel bad writing this, but maybe it will help.

[@greekoreo]

@@don234561 what do you mean metalwork?

[@kerrytyk111]

Subscribed. At the first and the section on swan lake, I prefer if you let us hear the sound clip first, then explain it, then let us hear it again to solidify our understanding

[@olena_chuba]

To be honest, I was skeptical at the beginning of the video, but step by step I've become fascinated by your explanations and became absolutely amazed with the final result. You are very talented. Subscribed!

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thank you!!

[@hh5200]

Thank you for this addendum to 5th species counterpoint. Helpful to develop orchestral harmony, tension-resistance-releasing-resolve.

[@youtubecommentor4480]

Been studying theory for years and never heard of most of these terms. Will use this knowledge. Thank so much! Subscribed instantly!

[@MrMikomi]

I knew about these, but you brought the concepts to life. You showed how truly useful, nay powerful they are. Really good job. Many thanks.

[@antialluvion5118]

I want to start by saying I appreciate your understanding of music composition in a way that I don't. I'm not going to back up anything I'm saying here but I've always been envious of individuals who understand how a certain thing works that somebody like myself maybe stumbles on by accident. For me, writing music in its best moments, noting that I have multiple horrible moments and many moments of doing nothing, but my best moments are when something happens without thinking. Like those moments when you're driving and you recognize that you weren't literally consciously aware of everything you were doing because you were subconsciously doing a bit of the driving. I believe Billy Corgan once made a comment to the effect that it's like grabbing hold of some string and you ride it for the brief moment that you get an opportunity. I know that there are people who can write purposely and do amazing things and that is breathtaking to know. I think my best moments are when I find myself in the riptide of music and I look back and can't believe the melody just washed over me and almost drowned me.

[@fishoscine1220]

Incredible tutorial. Wonderful real-life and practical examples. The only problem is that I haven't found your channel sooner. :P Thanks dude.

[@tommynguyen7718]

Hidden gem of a channel! Thanks for content, looking forward to more!

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thanks so much!!

[@GabrielBacon]

This is an absolute goldmine. Thanks so much.

[@chromaticusmusic]

I appreciate that. Thank you!

[@niclasnightflame]

I'm so glad that this video got recommended to me. Thank you so much for showing and explaining these techniques. Your style of explaining is absolutely amazing! As a blind music composer I often find videos where things are explained like "Look at the sheet and how the intervals are.", while you tell exactly how techniques work. And even when you show something visually, you leþ us listen afterwards, so I know the notes. Honestly, I wish I had a teacher like you. Is it possible to book lessons with you, if I may ask?

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thank you for the kind words! I do teach private lessons, and if you're interested you can email me at [e-mail]

[@mr88cet]

Cool thoughts, thanks! 1:13 - Perhaps I’m just remembering incorrectly (wouldn’t be the first time!), but my terminology recollection is that there are “chromatic inversions” and “diatonic inversions”: A chromatic inversion is where you reflect the passage _to the full resolution of the chromatic scale_ . So, “up a m3” becomes “down a m3,” regardless of the diatonic framework in play at the time. In contrast, a diatonic inversion is where you reflect it _to the resolution of the diatonic scale_ of the stated key. So, “up a third,” whichever it may be in that key framework, becomes “down a third,” whichever that may be diatonically.

[@chromaticusmusic]

I've not heard it explained that way before, but it makes sense!

[@mixedvibes9613]

​@chromaticusmusic cmon man you gotta know this it's in your name!

[@chromaticusmusic]

hah. "Chromaticus" was meant to imply that I explore everything, not that I know everything, as I certaintly don't. : ) @@mixedvibes9613

[@WhistlebirdInfinity]

Just what I needed! May the Muses continue to visit you.

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thank you!

[@wolfpox]

Anyone else not really listen to his explanation at all but just notice the gist of the tricks he's using?

[@kusumandriyanto]

the ending made me realized that maybe my writers block is not because I'm not feeling creative and only able to write boring melody, it's just because I'm not finished writing it yet

[@rev.davemoorman3883]

This was great. I find myself doing many of these manipulations - and now I have some names to describe them with. My only "complaint" is that it wouldn't have hurt much to do all this in Am. I really am not musically literate and don't see the key signature. Also, non-diatonic pitches would be obvious because of accidentals. If this needed to be in another key because of the pitch spans of real instruments, the whole thing can be transposed easily (with MuseScore or other music processor). I am tucking this video away and will return to it often to better understand what you have so clearly explained.

[@waldoadams1611]

Thanks for putting things into perspective. Can you do a video on expanding short melodic phrases into longer ones? And also on through-composing? I would love to hear your perspective/approach to these practices.

[@mikebryant4146]

Many thanks for this collection of writing ideas. Much appreciated.

[@RosssRoyce]

Very nicely explained and illustrated! Both with presenting the ploys in the beginning, and then the evolving example of composing. Than you!

[@nicholasgeorge7825]

Genius. Should have a million views. 🙈

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thank you!

[@Mancheguache]

I'm a nobody wrting songs noone will hear on a DAW in the moiddle of nowhere lol - but this has helped loads with all my moribund eight bars of tune and then - nothing. Because I didn't knw these 'tricks' excellent subscribed and liked

[@BigParadox]

This is good, and presented in a balanced way, presented for what it is, a useful toolbox. I subscribe! Nice melody, by the way.

[@jetlag_beats]

Writers block? Never had that. The opposite is actually a constant in my life: there's more ideas coming out in a never ending flow then I could ever process into fully completed works. It's a blessing and it's a curse. 😅

[@yadinmichaeli12]

Awesome thank you

[@karlmccreight8172]

I did similar stuff when when I had a blockage when finishing off a song for guitar and vocals.

[@glynshaw5903]

Loved this video ..clarified so much for me and a great reference tool

[@ShadingEdge]

You are gold! This was amazing, and the "final piece" sounds amazing :) Thank you for this insights on how to overcome a creative "valley" :)

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thanks so much!!

[@Mr.Earbrass]

This was really helpful. Thank you!

[@jamestwine958]

Outstanding! That was perfect 👌. Thank you 🙏

[@ricardobauza4886]

Thank you! So useful

[@franciscoaragao5398]

Um bom professor… e principalmente um verdadeiro compositor inspirado. Obrigado.

[@geoffreyhusmillo6783]

16:40 that G#7 chord 😅 sure, let me get my Rachmaninov on. Great video!!!! ❤

[@anicca3179]

Great video. Thanks for uploading

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thanks!

[@ulki]

ganz wunderbar erklärt, danke!

[@sheddybhulji8196]

Excellent tutorial❤

[@praddeeshm]

Wonderful video....great help fr budding composers...Thanks mate

[@curiouscatlabincgetsworrie7755]

Imma watch this one again fer sure!!! :D Thanx, man!

[@thepianistq8]

Great video man. This summarize how my brain functions when improvising.

[@mikescofield]

Very interesting. Very thorough. Very useful. Thanks!

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thank you!

[@zipperhead101]

Extremely awesome! Thank you, sir!

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thanks!

[@hamza.13]

Keep going i really love your videos they are very helpful

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thank you!

[@fifibg]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

[@mikebozik]

Brilliant, thanks 😊😊😊

[@bmonroe6947]

For someone like me without formal musical education who wants to start composing, this was a great video. And I've watched lots (and I mean lots) of different videos from different channels lately. Thanks for the effort you put into it, and your presenting style was great too!

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thank you!

[@564df6g5h4d6f5g4h6d5]

Take a college level music theory. Good ones end with this type of exercise though detailed and with Bass.

[@worldmusictheory]

just compose bro. i spent ages just watching youtube videos and absorbing music theory which is important but more time should be spent actually composing. i know you didn’t ask for advice but whenever i hear that someone wants to learn composition it makes me so happy i just want to help. so yeah, compose as often as you can.

[@ronnysmobilephone]

Thats great, thnx.

[@peterbernhard7415]

I wonder where I've been all the time in order for KZbin's AI to drive me right into the gist of it and the low down by hint of the margin right. Thank you.

[@Roman-is4jj]

Good one 👍

[@KelvinDominick-cl2xq]

That was awesome mate. Will have a look at your other videos. Im learning or studying piano for over 3 years and 8 monts. And trying to get better at improvising and composing piano pieces. Will need ta watch it a few more times but great stuff.

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thanks!

[@puneetmathur]

Wow!!

[@chrismunroe8015]

Excellent! I like the fact he said that the great composers did this instinctively without all the tech babble. Whatever helps, though. And I like the fact he said, a matter of taste. I liked his motif, but I didn’t like the diminished approach chord. That personal preference, I wonder, leads to individual style?

[@vtechk]

I just randomly hit this video and it’s awesome. Instant subscriber-maker :-)

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thank you!

[@MH-il1lk]

A genius is measured by what he or she does after 8 measures.

[@aloysioneves]

Parabéns! 🌎🎶🎸

[@davidmcgirr]

I had been stuck writing some light orchestral type music (Music for TV Dinners type stuff), particularly with melody and this really helped. Thanks!

[@chromaticusmusic]

Glad to hear it!

[@lucaeri4537]

GREAT

[@dietwald]

This is cool. I was doing many of those based on my experience listening to music, but didn't know any of the terms. I use a DAW, which makes it a lot more intuitive to do this, though you can't take advantage of the efficiency provided by notation.

[@RayJames-mk3yq]

I was waiting for the first example melody to turn into Grieg's morning mood lol

[@melorhy925]

From this video it seems you have to know basic level music theory such as basic rhythm notation first, to expand a motif rhythmically using modern manipulation techniques. I make music by ear using a midi controller keyboard and a DAW that always help to get music idea out my head rightward and into a full composition. I made a lot music this way first aa a hobby. now that I'm older i have and more patience , I have an interesting need to know how did made music ear from music theory standpoint. I appreciate you showing instant application of music theory I can enjoyable easy to understand. Yet if wasn't for music technology like midi keyboard and DAW combination , I wouldn't even bother with trying to make music.

[@Sophia-le3px]

useful, also doubles as good sight singing practice

[@steveh7866]

Thank you - my attempts have always been a bit haphazard. Will follow along with interest

[@flektra175]

As a hobbyist squeaky tube player I was horrified for a moment by the key signature until I realized that this would likely be played with a clarinet in A.

[@henrystickman871]

you are amazing thanks for introducing yourself on reddit to me

[@chromaticusmusic]

I appreciate the kind words. Thanks!

[@jackwilloughby239]

Hey, Great Video! I wanted to ask, do you think there is any value in learning to write Two Part Inventions? If it was such a great tool for teaching Composition, you would think that Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. would have written at least a few. They all wrote Fugues, but no Inventions? Cheers, Jack

[@smallsignals]

Well, that distilled everything from my composition classed within the first six minutes and didn't cost me thousands of dollars. heh

[@waldoadams1611]

Nice. I learned a lot. Why don't they teach songwriting in grade school? It really brings music theory to life. Thank you!

[@chromaticusmusic]

Thanks! and yea I don't know. I didn't learn this stuff taking music lessons that's for sure. That's kind of why I started this channel : )

[@otterguyty]

What a soul sucking way to write melody. I love it.

[@MalkuthEmperor]

Welp, i realised something the hard way. You cant expect a 10 note motive to translate perfectly fiatonicaly if you try to invert it( but it did come close with one note difference, and it sounded good to me none the less.) But the lesson for me is, i shouldnt make or take such long motives if i want to invert them. ( or at least i should not expect them to fit all, even tho some might)

[@JeanWJoseph]

Hello. I love the breakdown. I have a question about the final instrumentation: I've been told to usually "avoid the break" on the clarinet... Since B toA is awkward for them. Is that, and other instrumental limitations, something you consider when you assign parts or is it usually just fulfilling the SATB voicing and then adjusting the voicings as complications arise.

[@chromaticusmusic]

Hey, great question. The break is difficult for Clarinet players to cross over, so it's not impossible to play in that area but it is incredibly difficult to cross the break, especially at great speeds. If I was writing for live players this would definitely be something to consider. Sometimes when I'm writing, since it's just audio samples and not real players I forget about things like the break. It's a good habit to pretend like you're writing for live players all the time and take those things in to consideration. It's something I need to be more considerate of for sure.

[@JeanWJoseph]

@@chromaticusmusic cool. Thanks for the response - just had a convo related to the pitfall we can fall into by having our daw spit back whatever we throw at it no mater the difficulties a live musician would encounter. that may be a good topic to cover. Looking forward to watching more of your content.

[@russelljazzbeck]

I've only been playing clarinet for 3 years, but I'm in the civic wind ensemble here (no audition required) and none of the composers of the music we play write music with playing over the break as a consideration. We have to play over the break in every piece we play, sometimes in Presto :D Playing over the break is not at all a limitation. It's not even something I think about anymore. Whoever told you to avoid the break is probably talking about writing music for children. Even high schoolers can play over the break just fine. Check out Festive Overture or Forza del Destino. Plenty of stuff over the break. For jazz just listen to any jazz clarinetist. I've transcribed lots of clarinetist and they all play over the break constantly. I can improvise a little bit and I can play over the break easily. I can play over the the break into altissimo almost as easily.

[@chromaticusmusic]

That's some great insight! Thank you for sharing!! @@russelljazzbeck

[@rellloom]

Wonderful tips. Found these very useful since I tend to find it quite easy to write a motif but difficult to expand on it to see if it is actually good or a one-off thing.. However, critical note on typography from a typographer; The typeface (‘font’) you’re using is not well-suited to longer text. In general using bold serif type in text is very rarely done in professional typesetting, they tend to be more useful in book covers or large digital headings. It’s hard to read them, especially when they have high contrast (i.e. the thick strokes are way thicker than the thin strokes. When watching on a phone, some diagonals like the rightmost strokes of v and w for instance disappear almost completely, thus the word-image suffers and becomes hard to recognise.) I notice you still do it in your later videos, and I understand the wish to use typography consistently as identity, but I’d really suggest moving away from the bold bodonis/didots and using something more suited for running text for the sake of your viewers who wish to read it. If you like the vertical stress, consider something like Century Schoolbook (MuseScore’s revival is open source, it’s called Edwin) or for use in video, a humanist sans-serif might be the best option, such as Verdana. Or, to avoid system fonts, I’m very partial to Plein designed by Inga Plönnings for FontShare. Either way, I would avoid selecting a font for the enjoyment of its æsthetic features or for consistency in visual identity if that choice ends up being a nuisance to the reader..

[@randenpederson4784]

What are you using for the orchestra? You surely don't keep one in the back room to see if your little idea sounds good with clarinet and strings. How did you do that??

[@chromaticusmusic]

I wish I had an orchestra in my back room!! I use the program Sibelius to write, I run Note Performer for the sound, and sometimes I replace certain sounds with Native Instruments samples. Cheers.

[@edwinbaumgartner5045]

Good ideas. But the piano sketch at 11:25 has an open octave between rH and the bass line. Maybe, it's intended, but in simple ideas it's better avoided.

[@Mtaalas]

Just so that nobody's confused: you can write melody with this, but this is theory based explanation of different well known techniques that allow you to come up with something out of basically nothing. It doesn't mean all music you ever her is made like this NOR does it mean that using these techniques makes GOOD melody. Ultimately you either have good ideas or you don't. If you have good ideas and imagination, you can make good melodies. Practice makes perfect and doing bunch of mechanical techniques is not proper way to express yourself. But it's a tool for understanding how melodies work and what to do when you have no idea what to do and deadline's approaching for that advertisement jingle they ordered from you last week... Just like knowing all the possible picking techniques out there won't make you great guitarist, but surely help when you need to get shit done regardless of everything :) Keep playing music! You'll get there!

[@clarinetpete9661]

At 20:13 ...that little "dot" is not a staccato. If you put a dot with a slur it's called portmanteau. Otherwise good job!

[@Mr.Nichan]

The problem I'm worried about more than writer's block as writing cohesive pieces.

[@MisterMunkki]

I'm not sure I would call them techniques, more like devices, a technique would be a specific way of using those devices

[@ManuCel_]

And now what? Where to go?

[@564df6g5h4d6f5g4h6d5]

Where’s the Bass?

[@mynameusedtobelong]

Bassed on what?

[@564df6g5h4d6f5g4h6d5]

@@mynameusedtobelong if your using the start with melody technique, the next item is the bass, and then the variations on the theme.

[@philoshaughnessy906]

Not for beginners, then?

[@bakedcreations8985]

This is like somebody is talking about sex and educating us ..."take your right hand and gently put it around her breast while with the left hand start rubbing her belly in a circular, anti clockwise motion until you hear a faint moan " and so on. Just make the noises that comes naturally to you and reject the fetishism of any kind.

[@chrisnewman9693]

Or maybe it is like your partner gently hinting you could try something different and showing you how?

[@coreylapinas1000]

I don't think tchaikovsky had any of that in mind. Melody is not really something that can be taught. You just have to practice and expand your horizons with new music.

[@Flaystray]

Music just has to be "felt", huh

[@coreylapinas1000]

@@Flaystray no, I'm a theory elitist but it seems like melody-writing just escapes systemization. Generally, after choosing a general outline (genre, form etc), a composer will start with a melody or theme and then build on that. Failing that, you might have a chord progression you want to make a melody for and you could identify what scales to use over what chords but ultimately I would say some sponteneity is needed to decide what to exactly play. Even in the video this guy is making all kinds of decisions about his piece that aren't related to the principles. And quite honestly I felt like the figure leading to the third bar broke up the melodic flow. I would have changed the end of the third bar instead. But that's just me.

[@mikegaurnier]

I am really confused why so many musicians who obviously know a lot about music theory continue to call major and minor "keys". They are modes, period. Oh, and the old argument about major and minor being legitimate tonics, news flash, major is NOT a key any more than minor is. What's the difference between C major and the key of C? When you figure that out, maybe you'll stop propagating this misleading untruth. (Hint, the key of C has no tonic. It has a fundamental. It's physics, not opinion.)

[@youtubecommentor4480]

I understand your point but isn’t this just another way of saying, “There are 6 ways to Sunday”? Either way it gets you (us) to the same destination albeit using different roads? Thank you.

[@n-lightmusictheory]

@@youtubecommentor4480 No, it's not a matter of semantics. It's a matter of misleading information. The word "mode" is treated like a bad, four letter word. Yet everything is in a mode. Then, the word "key" is used in the place of "mode", now we don't have a word for "key". If this is just semantics, why do so many people argue about how many keys there are? There are 12, period. Yet people claim there are 12 or 15, maybe 24 or 30, or perhaps even 86 or 105. This is argued like it's an opinion or semantics. And why? Because reputable people like you don't realize you're propagating an untruth. It's not a lie because you don't realize it's an untruth. But either way, it's not semantics, it's wrong. 12 keys; 7 modes; major and minor are modes, not keys. Totally different things.

[@Subhabrata]

Too many jargons.