In a song, the melody is everything.
As the title suggests the melody is the very thing that holds the song together. It's like the song was created to make the melody stand out for everyone to hear.
Melody is so important that good musical arrangements have been ruined by poor melodies whereas a good melody can lift a poor arrangement.
It took me a long time to realise that melody is king (or queen).
The melody is what the listener remembers. It's what they hum or whistle to in the car. It's what gets stuck in their heads and gets them frustrated when they cant get it out. It is what defines your song and makes it stand out from the rest of the songs that are being played today.
A lot of songwriters I know get stuck with trying to come up with an original chord structure or some sort of riff to get started on their song. They say to me that they dont want to go down the same old path because they and the listening audience will find it boring. I say that if you have a great melody it really doesnt matter what chords fit with it, even if it is only three chords.
As with anything in songwriting there are no hard and fast formulaic rules for coming up with great melodies however the lyrics of a song can give you clues as to where your melody could be going.
For me melodies come to me in two ways:
1. In the form of little snippets based on a phrase that pops into my head. The rhythm of that phrase pretty much determines the melody that comes out (I constantly write lists of possible songtitles so coming up with a phrase to work on can be as easy as looking at one of my lists).
2. While noodling on my acoustic guitar just playing whatever comes into my head.
After the initial spark then the building process begins. Is the song going to be a sad, thoughtful, contemplating or happy one? Is the melody consisting of short notes, long languishing notes or a mixture of both? Is it a soaring anthemic piece or a more basic intimate piece?
Get into listening to a lot of music. Write down a list of your ten favourite songs and listen to them again and this time really listen to the melody. As you are listening write down what it is about the melody that touches, moves and inspires you. Does the melody send a shiver up your spine? Write it down. What you are doing is trying to pinpoint what moves you. This will make it easier to write melodies that make you say "WOW".
Writing a song can be a juggling act sometimes. You have a lyric here, a melody there, a half finished chorus, a riff that needs a home. However if you concentrate on the melody of the song you will find that the juggling act becomes easier to manage. That is why I say that the melody is what binds a song together.
Until next time, happy writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
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