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Melody Writing 101
Rating: 4.6 out of 5(8 ratings)
51 students
Created byJosh Cook
Last updated 3/2025
English

What you'll learn

  • Learn the basics of creating a functional melody
  • Understand how melody interacts with harmony
  • Breakdown the concepts of good melody writing through simple analogies
  • Learn concepts from neighbor tones and passing tones, to ornaments and arpeggios
  • Be able to write melodies within your own songs
  • Understand how to analyze the melodies of other composers

Course content

3 sections15 lectures1h 26m total length
  • What Makes a Good Melody?3:23

    Not all melodies are created equal.  Let's discuss what makes a melody sounds pleasant to the listener.

  • Melodic Complexity4:59

    Melodies shouldn't always been simple, nor complex, but rather a blend of the two.  Let's talk about how you can strike this balance in your own melody writing.

  • Melodic Approaches8:15

    HOW are you approaching your melody writing.  That's what this class is all about!

  • Magnets and Metal11:07

    Before we dive into the nitty gritty, this "magnets and metal" concept can really help you make sense of why certain melodic techniques work so well in conjunction with harmony.

Requirements

  • You should know basic major and minor chords
  • You should know the notes of a piano
  • Understanding piano basics is a plus

Description

Melody writing can be tough when we first start learning about it, but it doesn't have to be!

We often start by drawing a bunch of dots on the page, hoping that if we follow the rules it will sound nice when applied to an instrument. But like many musical techniques, it’s best that we DON’T learn it at the page, but rather at an instrument.


The way I approach melody writing is very much interrelated to the interaction between melody and harmony. When we have a chord supplied, our melody can either agree or conflict with our harmony. This can lead to stability, color, or dissonance within our melody. I find it easy to picture these tensions and resolutions as the relationship between magnets and metal. There’s a certain amount of tension when metal is held close to a magnet, and I find that this is the best analogy to use when understanding how melody is working with harmony.
From these more birds-eye-view ways of looking at things, to specific techniques like the ones below, I’ve got you covered from many angles so that you’ll be feeling confident with your melody writing by the time you’ve reviewed and practiced the material within this course.

What you’ll learn:

- What makes a good melody

- How much complexity to add to your melody

- How to approach rhythmic density within your melodies

- Various types of neighbor tones and passing tones

- Enclosures

- Arpeggios

AND A LOT MORE!


While this course is for beginners, it will still take much practice to get the most out of this material. Whether you prefer to learn on the instrument or off the page, I’ve provided enough extra resources that you can approach this material from various angles/learning styles.


So strap on your melodic boots, get your fingers warmed up, and jump on in. I’ll catch you in the first class!

Who this course is for:

  • Composers
  • Music Producers
  • Music Performers
  • Pianists
  • Guitarists
  • Beginner Musicians