What is a melody?

A melody is a series of musical notes or tones arranged in a specific order or pattern to create a tune. The melody is usually the most memorable aspect of a piece of music. A melody can be used to create different emotions within the music.

What is a melody made of?

A melody in a piece of music consists of two components:

• Pitch - This refers to how high or low a note sounds. A pitch is made and changed by varying the rates of vibrations made by an instrument.

• Rhythm - Rhythm is determined by the duration that each note is played. The rhythm can be made up by a pattern of short and long notes.

Instrumental Melodies

Instrumental melodies are produced on pitched instruments. These melodies can be found in fast complicated guitar riffs, long luscious violin solos or as decorative musical material within a song or piece.

Vocal Melodies

Melodies are often found in vocal lines of songs in all genres of music. These melodies can be paired with lyrics to express a particular emotion or tell stories in the music.