What is Melodic Motion?

Melodic motion describes the shape of a melody and how notes moves from one to the other. The melodic motion of a melody is made from notes that move in stepwise motion (conjunct) and leaps (disjunct). The melodic motion of a melody also describes the direction of the melody, ascending or descending.

Conjunct Melody

A melody that moves by step, with small intervals between the notes:

Disjunct Melody

A melody that moves by leaps, with bigger intervals between the notes:

Ascending Melody

An ascending melody starts from a lower note and moves upwards to a higher note:

Descending Melody

A descending melody starts from a higher note and moves downwards to a lower note:

Combining Melodic Motion

You can combine different melodic motions to create different shapes for your melody: