Comments on: Why And How To Avoid The Root In Your Melody https://tonyconniff.com/why-and-how-to-avoid-the-root-in-your-melody/ Songwriter, Producer, and Coach, based in New York City. Wed, 01 Aug 2018 20:01:16 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Tony Conniff https://tonyconniff.com/why-and-how-to-avoid-the-root-in-your-melody/#comment-7447 Wed, 01 Aug 2018 20:01:16 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=3845#comment-7447 In reply to Sarah Fridrich.

Thanks, Sarah! That is really one of my most core Songwriting beliefs.
Best wishes,
Tony

]]> By: Sarah Fridrich https://tonyconniff.com/why-and-how-to-avoid-the-root-in-your-melody/#comment-7446 Mon, 30 Jul 2018 02:56:09 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=3845#comment-7446 “A good melody tells a story. It doesn’t just help tell the story of the words; it has its own story.”

This is a great first line of this post!!

]]> By: Tony Conniff https://tonyconniff.com/why-and-how-to-avoid-the-root-in-your-melody/#comment-7445 Mon, 30 Jul 2018 02:53:19 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=3845#comment-7445 In reply to Daniel McBrearty.

Daniel,
Thanks for writing. Great points, and I don’t disagree with any of your comments; I think they’re just a slightly different angle on the same thing.
I was trying to address the ‘premature use of the root’, or its overuse.
I didn’t go into the idea of starting on the root, which you bring up and can be a great option. Thanks!
Best wishes,
Tony

]]> By: Daniel McBrearty https://tonyconniff.com/why-and-how-to-avoid-the-root-in-your-melody/#comment-7444 Sat, 28 Jul 2018 07:05:33 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=3845#comment-7444 This is one way to look at things. You could also say that a melody is about movement, and movement can happen by moving to and then away from the root. Consider the song Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend – the very first downbeat of the chorus is right on the root- and the melody is on the tonic arpeggio for the first few bars. In subsequent phrases the movement is away from the tonic, and finally back to it. In between are modulations and variations. It’s never boring and it’s a great melody. There are many other examples : Here, There and Everywhere; Stardust (not in the first phrase, but bar 5; and so on. All truly great melodies.

]]> By: Tony Conniff https://tonyconniff.com/why-and-how-to-avoid-the-root-in-your-melody/#comment-7443 Thu, 26 Jul 2018 19:03:47 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=3845#comment-7443 In reply to Tony Conniff.

Jon,
See addition to the post. Thanks!
TC

]]> By: Tony Conniff https://tonyconniff.com/why-and-how-to-avoid-the-root-in-your-melody/#comment-7442 Thu, 26 Jul 2018 19:00:13 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=3845#comment-7442 In reply to Jon Gordon.

Jon,
I couldn’t agree more, and didn’t mean to imply that all melodies should resolve to the root. Just that it’s the most obvious and unmistakable resolution.
Thanks,
Tony

]]> By: Jon Gordon https://tonyconniff.com/why-and-how-to-avoid-the-root-in-your-melody/#comment-7441 Thu, 26 Jul 2018 18:15:27 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=3845#comment-7441 Very well put, Tony! The only thing I can think of to add is that sometimes ending in a deliberately non-resolving way – not on the root chord, not on an expected beat, not on the root note or some combination of the three can have it’s own useful vibe. Particularly with a moody song where you want the impact of the last line to linger for a moment, leaving it unresolved can heighten the effect.

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