The Complete Idiot''s Guide to Music Theory

Par t 3:Tunes

You want your music to fit with your words. In the simplest sense, this means

arranging the rhythm of the music so that it fits the natural rhythm of the words.

You don’t want your singers to be forced into awkward phrasing to fit all the

syllables into a given space. Most words and phrases have a natural pace, and

will suggest a rhythm to you. Make sure your music’s rhythm fits this lyric

rhythm—in particular, avoid putting an unaccented word or syllable on an

accented part of the measure, like the downbeat.

You also want the flow of your melody to match the flow of the words. For

example, if the words ask a question, you probably want the melody to flow

upward, to imitate the way a human voice ends a question on a higher pitch.

In addition, you want the feel of the music to match the feel of the lyrics. If the

lyrics are sad, you probably don’t want to set them to a happy-sounding melody.

There are exceptions to this rule, of course—mismatching words and lyrics can

create a sense of musical irony that is appropriate in some situations—but in

general, you want your melody to reflect the feel of the lyrics, even when

played without vocals.

Write for a Specific Instrument or Voice

The type of melody you compose might be dictated by the specific voices or

instruments you’re writing for. For example, if you’re writing for flutes, you

probably don’t want to create a booming, bombastic melody—they won’t be

able to play it. By the same token, too high a melody will be difficult for low

male voices to sing. You need to find not only the right range for a given voice

or instrument, but also the right feel.Match the requirements of your melody

with the right voices and instruments to avoid an unpleasant listening experience.

Be Unique

Finally, you should know that a melody doesn’t have to be harmonically or

rhythmically complex to be memorable; it doesn’t have to be long or short or any

certain length. It does, however, have to be distinctive. A memorable melody

might remind us of other melodies, but it can’t duplicate them. The best melodies

have something unique about them, some distinctive hook or motif or rhythmic

pattern that makes them stand out.

It’s difficult (if not impossible) to teach you how to be unique, so this is some-

thing you’ll have to address on your own. Does your melody stand on its own?

Does it sound a little like something else you’ve heard? Does it sound a lotlike

something else you’ve heard? As with many aspects of composition, this is one

area in which you’ll have to trust your ears—and one that you definitely have to

listen for.

Learn More About Composing

Writing your own music is fun, but it requires mastery of many musical skills—

of which we’ve only covered a few in this chapter. Whether you want to write

songs or symphonies, the same techniques of composition apply. You have to

108

See Chapter 19 for more

information about instru-

mental and vocal ranges.

Note