Looking at Figure 5-1, let’s see what kind of melody is suggested by this
phrase. When you speak the phrase out loud, notice that some of the words
rise upward in pitch, while others go down in pitch. There might be some
variation in emphasis or intention when different people say the phrase, but
by and large these words almost demand a natural melodic movement, some-
thing like that shown in Figure 5-2.All well and good. Now try speaking the phrase with an unnaturalmelodic
movement, something like the one shown in Figure 5-3.Now the phrase doesn’t work musically. The melody of it is off somehow. Or
is it the rhythmic emphasis? See how important the elements of music are to
basic spoken communications? It’s fairly easy to determine the direction that
the melody wants to move in this example — and a direction where it doesn’t.
We can see the basic landscape, given this phrase.& 4
(^3) ŒŒœ
So,
œ œ
œ
wherecan we
œ Œ œ
get these
œ Œ
œ
rhyth mic
œ
œ Œ
--phra ses?
Figure 5-3:
Making the
phrase
sound
wrong by
adding
unnatural
melodic
movement
to it.
& 4
(^3) ŒŒ
œ
So,
œ œ
œ
wherecan we
œ Œ œ
get these
œ Œ
œ
rhyth mic
œ œ Œ
--phra ses?
Figure 5-2:
Adding
natural
melodic
movement
to the
phrase,
based on
the way the
words rise
and fall in
speech.