Part 2: Exploring Melody & Scales

It is widely accepted that melody is often seen as the most important part in the composition of a piece.  The melody is the bare and basic idea of the piece and embellishments and accompaniments are often added around a melodic line.

The Contours of Melody

The contour or shape of a melody can most simply be described as the shape the notes follow along the stave.  A gentle progression of notes, curving up and down the scale would indicate a conjunct motion, whereas a progression of sharp movements rising a falling throughout the piece would indicate the use of a disjunct motion. 

However, melodies are not merely limited to the use of either the conjunct or disjunct movement, but can often use elements of both motions to create a balanced and fluid piece of music.  For example, the melody in the well-known English song ‘Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star’ begins with a large jump up the scale (a disjunct motion) and then progresses by working its way down the scale in small movement (a conjunct motion), until it reaches the tone that the melody began on.  Perricone (2000: 2) states, 

“A melodic phrase, much like a sentence or clause in verbal language, usually encompasses a complete musical statement.  A melodic phrase usually defines itself by resting or holding or coming to some point of resolution (rhythmically and/or tonally) and, especially in vocal music, is directly related to the natural areas to breathe.  Short phrases usually group together to form a longer phrase.”

Neumes

The contours and shape of a melody played a large part in the history of musical notation.  Before the use of the current 5-line stave, a melody of a piece would have been notated using simple lines and symbols to signify the rise and fall in pitch.   During this time, a system called ‘Neumes’ was used as an early form of musical notation. 

Neumes, originating from the Greek word pneuma (meaning breath), used a system of symbols to notate the notes in a melody.   The earliest examples of the use of this system were of Aramaic origin and were used for the recitation of the Christian Holy Scriptures.    However, it was not until around the 9^th century that Neumes began to become a shorthand aid for accurate melodic recitation of chants.   By the 11^th century, Beneventan Neumes were written using precise distances between the symbols and the text to notate the shape of the melody line.  Around this time, a single line was added to the system to notate one specific pitch (i.e. C), which could then be used as a baseline for all of the other symbols in the melody. 

In the 13^th century the Sarum chant was notated using squared-headed Neumes that loosely resemble the notation system used today.    This variant, called a Gothic Neume, was used until the 16^th century.   However, Neumes were only capable of notating the contour of a melody and relied heavily upon the musician already knowing the shape of the melody. 

The 16^th century saw the common use of the 5-line system we use today.  However, when looking at the use of Neumes, it is clear to see how the modern system of notation was developed. 

Melodic Motion

Melodic motion describes the movement of the successive notes along a melody line.  The distance between the placements of these notes creates the mood, structure and feel of a piece.  As mentioned earlier, different types of melodic motion can be labelled as ‘conjuct/stepwise’ and ‘disjunct/skipwise’.

Stepwise or Conjunct Motion

A stepwise melodic motion moves in small intervals within a scale.  These steps can move in either direction but generally keep one or two steps (whole or semitones) distance between the note proceeding and succeeding it.  This movement provides a balanced and smooth progression throughout the piece.   A stepwise motion is often contrasted with arpeggio motion to create a balanced and interesting melodic line.   These small intervals make it an easier piece for the musician to sing, but do not offer the more memorable leaps and varied character of a melody with a disjunct motion.

Skipwise Motion or Disjunct Motion

A skipwise melodic motion sees the notes with a larger interval (of more than a whole note) in between.   Whilst this type of motion can provide to be a challenge for the singer, this method does allow the melodic line to take on some interesting melodic patterns.  This movement usually includes sharp and fast rises and falls in the melody giving a dramatic and varied sound.

Nettl (1956: 51-53) describes various types of melodic movement or contour as; ascending; descending; undulating (equal movement in both of the above directions); Pendulum (extreme undulation which uses a large range and large intervals); Tile, terrace, or cascading  (a number of descending phrases in which each phrase begins on a higher pitch than the last ended); arc and rise (may be considered a musical form, a contrasting section of higher pitch, a "musical plateau").