I doubt that anyone could define what makes a melody great. But in considering what great melodies have in common, across genres, I think of two interrelated elements.

One is Drama. A melody is like a story. A good story makes you want to turn the page. You need to know what happens next. There’s suspense, there’s surprise. There’s a combination of familiar and unpredictable. It starts somewhere, takes you on a journey, and (usually) brings you back home.

Melodies are similar. Writing a melody is musical storytelling. But instead of elements like character, setting, and plot, we have notes and rhythms as our tools for creating drama and suspense. (Harmony can contribute mightily too, but we’re focusing on melody here).

Another element, related, is Motion. With melodies, motion equals emotion. To use another cliche, melodies are like sharks – they either move or die.

The main thing we don’t want in a melody is for it be static; just hanging around, doing nothing, going nowhere. Stasis (defined as ‘a period or state of inactivity or equilibrium‘) is the antithesis of Drama and Motion… and the enemy of good melodies.

So give another listen to your melody – without words or harmony.

Is it telling a story? Is it moving – up, down, taking a jump or two? Or is it just repeating the same rhythms or notes over and over? Are its themes expanded and developed? Is it going somewhere? Is the journey interesting, with at least a few elements of melodic and rhythmic surprise?

Recently a songwriter I’ve worked with for several years said to me, “This is the best thing I ever got from you!”. I asked him what ‘this’ was. The answer was simple: that melodies can be improved (if you’re willing to push out of your comfort zone and work on giving them more [e]motion and drama).

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