Violoncello Duet in C

[Exen]

Sure Stevel, the more I know the better I can be at it right.

You wouldn't happen to be able to recommend a good book on melody writing would ya?

I wouldn't mind some thing that is easier to read, think along the lines of Piston's style, clean and to the point.

[stevel]

Originally Posted by Exen

Sure Stevel, the more I know the better I can be at it right.

You wouldn't happen to be able to recommend a good book on melody writing would ya?

I wouldn't mind some thing that is easier to read, think along the lines of Piston's style, clean and to the point.

I don't know of anything geared specifically to melody writing - the problem is that there's so many things to take into account - phrase structure, harmony, etc. Seems there are a few composition texts out there - Persichetti, Dallin, Smith-Brindle.

But most counterpoint texts also deal with melodic contour and melody writing in general. Piston actually has a text on Counterpoint (and Orchestration, in addition to Harmony) which reads well.

Obviously the best guide is music itself, but a couple of things can be said:

A melody should be "of one with itself" - by that I mean, each note should obviously go to the next note - which means you can't skip about too much.

Thus, most melodies are largely stepwise, with smaller leaps preferred to larger leaps.

Most melodies also have a high point, or, in some cases, a low point. Usually this point is about 2/3 of the way in, though it doesn't have to be.

Most melodies exhibit a standard kind of contour: most rise and fall - Happy Birthday is a good example. Some do the opposite - start high and go low - like Joy To The World. Some only rise, and some only fall, and some are static. A contour which is all over the place is unusually traditionally.

Most melodies contain identifiable points of interest, usually repeated or presented in varied fashion. These are typically motives.

Most melodies have a logical form, with an introduction and a close. Most of the time, the harmonic form agrees with this.

The best thing to do is find some melodies you like, and figure out what makes them tick. Look at their shape, what kind of leaps or steps they contain, what kind of identifiable elements they contain, etc.

HTH,
Steve

[Majesty]

I think a good idea is to study counterpoint. In the early learning stages of counterpoint you begin to understand the layout of the scale and the traditional tendencies of each note of a scale in relation to its position. It will help you to craft melody in a traditional sense in regards to intervals and such which will help to lead in an understanding on how to deal with the notes/intervals of a scale in a less strict manner.

[Exen]

Thanks for the info guys, very helpful. Over the summer I started trying to read Fux's Gradus Ad Parnassum, and just after the first species its like pulling teeth. More effort was used to just read it than anything.

[stevel]

Originally Posted by Exen

Thanks for the info guys, very helpful. Over the summer I started trying to read Fux's Gradus Ad Parnassum, and just after the first species its like pulling teeth. More effort was used to just read it than anything.

Gradus ad Parnassum is a tough read - not to mention the fact that it's done in the dialogue fashion, which makes it even harder for modern readers.

Furthermore, the species approach - despite its many proponents - is not really based on real music. Fux used ideas from the past, and presented them in a classical period context. For example, if you look at Mozart's workings out of the exercises, you'll see that he ignores the cadences of:
B - C
D - C

To the preferred classical model of:
B - C
G - C

Most people can't take the 3 part exercises because by then, the "music" you produce doesn't really sound like any existing styles of music (or any that most modern composers would want to produce).

A much better text is Robert Gauldin's "Practical Approach to 18th Century Counterpoint" - he uses ACTUAL music models from Bach and his contemporaries, and has a significant discussion of form, etc. He also treats specificities realistically - for example, in any general counterpoint text you will find the following:
B C
F E

Outlawed. But you find it all over the place in Bach. Gauldin presents it in its real context - as a V7 chord in 3rd inversion moving to a I in 1st inversion.

You have to be careful - some other texts focus on Palestrina Style (Knud Jeppesen's exemplary "Counterpoint"). Gauldin even has a book with the same title as above, but with "16th Century" instead.

The 16th century (which is also what Fux builds from) style is a bit-old fashioned for most.

Piston's "Counterpoint" is more "classical" which is a refreshing change of pace from the more "strict" Species style texts, and period/style specific ones. So Piston's is more "general" in that regard. Ultimately, that's a flaw, but there's still lots of good info in there.

Kent Kennan's "Counterpoint" has been used widely for years and though I haven't looked at it in years, I recall it being very thorough and easy to comprehend.

Another good "overview" is "Counterpoint From Josquin to Stravinsky" (or some similar title) which focuses not on the "rules" of counterpoint, but the "principles" of counterpoint and how they are applied throughout the ages and in different styles.

HTH,
Steve

[Exen]

Thanks Steve, the latter two seem interesting to me, as I want to create counterpoints in a more modern fashion without the "boring" similarity of classicism.

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