Melody Structure

The climax is the highest point of a melody, both in terms of pitch and intensity.

The nadir is the lowest point of a melody, both in terms of pitch and intensity.

Transposition is the repetition of a melody at a different pitch.

Variation is the repetition of a melody with slight changes, such as ornamentation or rhythmic alteration.

Inversion is the reversal of the direction of a melody, so that the highest notes become the lowest and vice versa.

Conjunct motion is a melody that moves in stepwise motion, meaning that the notes are adjacent to each other in the scale.

Disjunct motion is a melody that moves in leaps, meaning that the notes are not adjacent to each other in the scale.

Diatonic melodies use only the notes of a particular scale, such as the major or minor scale.

Chromatic melodies use notes outside of a particular scale, such as sharps and flats.

An ostinato is a melody that has a repeating pattern of notes, often used as an accompaniment to other melodies.

Monophony is a melody that is played by a single instrument, without any accompaniment.

Polyphony is a melody that is played by two or more instruments, with each instrument playing a different part.

Homophony is a melody that has a single melody line with accompaniment, with the accompaniment providing harmonic support.

Heterophony is a melody that has two or more melody lines that are played simultaneously, with each line having its own variations.

The contour of a melody is its overall shape or outline, as determined by the movement of the notes up and down.