A good melody is one of the most important parts of a composition. Except in rare occasions, the composer wants their piece to make such an impression that the listener continues goes away from the piece with the melody filling their mind. However, it seems that student composers have a particularly difficult time constructing a good melody. It is perhaps the part of the composition that takes the most detail work, which might explain their reluctance to spend an appropriate amount of time on it.
Here are some of the melody pitfalls of young composers and a few preliminary suggestions for teaching them:
1. They do not have a melody. I have several students who love to vamp on certain chord progressions, but rarely find a way of inserting a melody over the top of their vamp. This type of student would benefit from small, separate exercises (in addition to their vamping) of constructing melodies. Often this student does not even see the need for a melody, thinking that their pieces sounds quite lovely as it is with I, vi, IV, and V chord vamping variations!
2. They have a good motive, but they do not have enough melodic material. These students will play their melodic motive over and over again, sometimes at a different pitch to match their harmonic changes. This student would benefit from encouragement about their good motive, but needs assistance in knowing how to develop that motive into something bigger.
3. Their melody is boring. This might be a rhythmic or melodic problem or a problem with motive or form. Some places to start with this student might be to have them compose some interesting motives (very short melodic ideas…don’t let them get too long). You might print some pictures of cartoon characters, animals, scenery, etc. and ask them to compose a melodic idea for each one (start with one especially for younger students). You might read about our Cartoon Motive Contest to see how you can use this and how fun it could be to do this type of activity in your entire studio! Remember that its always possible to find something positive even in a boring melody!
4. Their melody is too busy. Usually this is a problem of too much material. Students often have one idea after another and will string them together in a supposed “melody.” This kind of student needs to be assured that there will be plenty of time to use a lot of their ideas, but they don’t have to use them all in this composition. Help them start a composition idea book where they store these good melodic ideas to use later. Then, they will need assistance in learning how to develop each of their good motives.
5. Their melody rambles. This is actually either a restatement of problem number 2 or 4. They either do not have enough material or they have two much material.
Now, I am sure that there are other problems and variations of these problems that students have with their melodies, but most of these issues come down to this.
A student needs to learn to:
- Compose a good motive
- Develop that motive
- Construct a melody that makes sense and gives the listener the correct impression
There is obviously much that we will be exploring about these issues, but I’d love to hear about your student composers. Which of the above problems do your students experience? What other problems do you notice your composers have with melodies?
Read more in the Composition Corner Series: Tip #1: What Do You Want Me to Do? and Tip #2: Find Something Positive
I love these composition articles. I am interested in composing myself as well as helping my piano students compose. Do you know of any courses or books that can help assist with this?