composing

Crafting the perfect melody for your lyrics can be tricky. On one hand, you want the music to sound original and fresh. On the other, the melody must be memorable and catchy enough to stick in the listener’s mind. There are many factors to consider when composing a melody from the limited number of notes on the scale. Let’s consider a few strategies necessary to write an unforgettable song.

Stress Less 

There’s a good chance that your initial attempts to write a song will resemble something already written by you or someone else. That’s okay. You can use various techniques to set your work apart, but first consider how well the music fits the lyrics. Next, reflect on the mood you want to create and the emotions you wish to evoke.

Words First vs. Music First

Every songwriter faces the fundamental question, “Words first or music first?” The good news is that there is no single answer to this question. Pre-written words might spark ideas for new compositions, or existing music could be the springboard for creative lyrics. Play around and discover what method works best for you. 

Try New Things

Experiment with your melody! Try playing various versions to find a new and interesting arrangement. Switch up the scale or mode to give your melody a different flavor. Change the rhythms in the song. Do something unexpected! Add variety to your melody to catch the listener’s ear.  Try your melody on different instruments, whether standard or digital. Listening to different timbres of instruments may help you think of new compositional possibilities. Play around with dynamics and make sure there’s enough contrast throughout your song. Variations in dynamics can make the difference between a good melody and a great one.

Syllable Stress 

Carefully consider the syllabic stresses of your text and how your melody emphasizes certain words. For example, the word “father” is spoken with a stressed first syllable, “FA,” and an unstressed second syllable, “ther.” Different time signatures naturally place stress on particular beats. For instance, a song written in three-quarter time creates a stressed first beat, followed by two unstressed beats. Ideally, the stressed syllables or words should fall on the stressed beats in the music. In the above example, the first syllable of “father” should fall on the first beat of the measure so it’s given special emphasis while the second syllable remains unstressed.

Making melodic decisions can be a bit like piecing together a puzzle, but focusing on rhythmic patterns will help your song flow naturally. 

Jumps and Skips

Keep the performer in mind when writing a melody. If you are writing a vocal solo, know what range of notes each voice part can sing. Using a wider range of notes makes singing a piece more difficult.

Also, remember that it’s much easier to sing notes that are next to each other on the staff than those that skip around in large jumps and intervals. Make sure the range and position of the notes match the skill level of your intended performer. 

A Musical Canvas 

Take opportunities to “paint the text” with the accompanying music. For example, songs often use sixteenth notes to mimic the effect of flowing water. A text about fire might use staccato notes to sound like crackling sparks. These effects might not work for every text, but when appropriate, painting the text with music can exemplify the meaning of the piece. 

A Catchy Tune

What makes a tune get irrevocably stuck in your head? No one method guarantees your melody will be “sticky,” but catchy tunes have two things in common.

First, many popular songs repeat words or parts of the tune. Just think of how easy it is to get The Beatles’ “She Loves You” stuck in your head with its catchy refrain of “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” The repetition is effective without being annoying.

Second, a catchy melody is often simple. If a tune is too complex, it will be hard to remember, and you probably won’t find yourself humming it later. This rule also applies to the lyrics. To make your song relatable and memorable, avoid uncommon words that your audience probably wouldn’t know. When in doubt, sing or play your tune for someone else–if they start humming along with the second verse, that’s a surefire sign you’ve written a winner. 

Your Laboratory 

Sometimes, lightning will strike, and you’ll come up with the perfect combination of melody and words in a flash of brilliant inspiration. More often, the process will require experimentation, fine-tuning, and endurance to get it just right. You don’t have to settle on the first idea that comes to mind. If you give yourself time to mull the song over, you will come upon creative revisions you hadn’t considered at first. Just like in a real laboratory, sometimes your creations will blow up in your face, and you’ll have to start over. But occasionally, you’ll find the perfect combination of elements right away and produce a spectacular reaction.