How do you write a melody?

Answer 1

A good place to start is thinking of melodies that you enjoy and figuring out why you enjoy them. Is it a certain energy that it possesses, is it the way that the melody interacts with the harmony, or is it something else? Understanding the music you enjoy can help you to understand your own tastes and, in turn, help develop your own voice. This is probably the most common place that I begin when I want to write an original melody. Never be afraid to look to someone else's work for inspiration.

Another way is to simply start singing--out loud, or in your head--and just see where your voice takes you. Often times I'll find that my best melodies are conceived this way. It's a very genuine way to compose, simply because there is no immediate filter. What is in your head, good or bad, comes out. It's then up to you if you want it to be written down.

Some melodies are excellent on their own, but sometimes a melody needs support from the harmony, a counter melody, a rhythmic motif, etc. Don't be discouraged if what you've written begins to feel uninteresting over time or too simple (or even overly complicated). Perhaps it just needs a change of context. Instead of changing the melody itself, try reharmonizing it or changing where the melody begins and ends in the measure. The results are often unexpectedly refreshing.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

So when we consider a melody we have to consider two important things. One is that part of melody composition is raw creativity. This part is necessary because as much as we can throw melodic form and development techniques at a horizontal series of notes, it just needs to have a creative spark. The second thing to consider is the technique. So we can learn voice leading and learn that melodies can be simplified into little melodic units called motifs, and we can establish common guidelines for motifs and we can learn how to develop our motifs into phrases and how to structure those phrases, and we can learn how phrases fit together to make phrase groups and what cadences have to do with those phrases and phrase groups.

Answer 3

IT DEPENDS UPON THE DEMANDS OF THE PROJECT

1. Writing for yourself: The best way to hear a melody on your own is to be feeling on the extreme of an emotion. Of course, you could be extremely happy or sad; however, you could also be extremely bored. I can only imagine how Bobby McFerrin was feeling when he came up with "Don't Worry, Be Happy." If you have watched the TV show "Songland", you will see how professional songwriters do it. They gather in a relaxed room, throw out ideas, respond to each other's ideas, and help each other on the path to the best product. The main thing to understand about that group situation is everyone's ideas are legitimate and important; however, nobody's ideas are mandatory.
2. Writing for A Contract: If someone presents a film to you with specific scenes that are intended to draw specific emotions from a viewer, you will need to already understand how to create those feelings. Suppose you have the portion of a script with sketches on a storyboard. The scene involves someone doing something very horrific, followed by their decision to change their ways. It all happened in outer space. In order to provide a usable mix of original music in a few days, you will need to understand how musical intervals, harmonies, instruments and sounds affect the emotions of the viewer. Otherwise, you will be brainstorming for years.