Sometimes, you simply run out of ideas for a melody.
You don’t want to stick to basic chord tones—you want to create something memorable and expressive.
Fortunately, there are a few fundamental concepts you can learn that can help you break out of creative blocks and write melodies that are more interesting and engaging. Let’s look at a couple of different classic techniques you can use to create interesting melodic motion.
Appoggiatura
While the term for this may be a mouthful, its concept is simple: it is a non-chord tone that creates tension before resolving to a chord tone. More specifically, the added note is typically approached by a leap and then resolved by a step—up or down—to the principal note. It’s up to you how long you linger in this tension before resolving. The longer you hold the dissonant note, the more pronounced the sense of tension becomes, creating interest.
Escape Tone
An escape tone works almost like a reverse appoggiatura. Instead of approaching a non-chord tone by leap, you approach it by step and then leap away to a chord tone. This brief departure from the harmony creates a small moment of tension before returning to something more stable. Like appoggiaturas, escape tones can also be particularly useful for adding movement and variety to an otherwise simple melody.
Anticipation
An anticipation is exactly what it sounds like—a non-chord tone that arrives early, before the harmony changes to the chord it belongs to. Unlike an appoggiatura or escape tone, the note itself is usually consistent with the upcoming harmonic chord, but sounds unexpected because it occurs before its expected time. Anticipations create forward motion and make a melody feel more surprising to the ear. It is a level of expression that evades mundaneness and instead dwells in unpredictability.
Hopefully, with these classic concepts you can avoid the troubles of writing an interesting melody. While these techniques may seem simple, they can add a surprising amount of movement, tension, and expression to your music. Even if your melody already feels sufficient, try adding some of these non-chord tones for even more color. Experiment with them, and you may find that your melodies become more memorable and engaging.
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Hi, I’m Devon! I play the flute and enjoy writing music in my free time.