How to Create Memorable Melodies: Tips for Songwriters

Are there any ingredients that help create memorable melodies, which can conquer the hearts of thousands of listeners? In this article, we will share some practical tips for songwriters on how to create melodies that immediately catch the audience and become an earworm. 

Things You Should Consider When Creating a Melody

You don’t actually need to follow rules.
Many people listen to thousands of tunes, analyzing what they have in common. They believe that proceeding step by step helps them create their own great melodies but that’s not always true. The best rule for a songwriter who wants to get to the final point with a really memorable melody is not relying on rules too much.

You need just four chords to start with.
Figure out your scale. Start with picking up four chords from the key to create your first melodies that sound good. Selecting only four possible notes narrows your options and helps you become more creative with a limited material. This also prevents your melody from sounding like a scale and gives the material to work with.

Your first melodies shouldn’t be perfect.
It’s okay if at the beginning you get a very simple result. With each step, you will gradually come through different options and develop the story in your music. Be ready to play around with many little fragments to see what sounds fine.

Sing your melody first.
It helps you understand whether the melody sounds comfortable for you. If it feels good, chances are it will also resonate with others. After that, you can play it on an instrument like a piano or trumpet.

Use contrasts — combine steps and leaps.
All memorable melodies balance repetition with variation. This makes the melody more versatile and interesting. The melody can’t be constructed of only steps as it sounds boring. The same is true for creating melodies only with leaps as they become chaotic. Only when finding a balance between steps and leaps can you write a great melody. Keep in mind that the bigger the leap you use, the more dramatic effect it creates for a listener. Steps and leaps help you create necessary accents for the story of your song. In addition to stepwise movement with a few leaps, you can also combine or contrast long notes with quick runs.

Your melody doesn’t necessarily need to start on the first beat.
As a beginner you may do it but the melody may sound predictable. By mixing the phrases where your melody starts, combining beats one and the one that starts after the beat one, you can get the effect of dance. You can experiment with beats within the sequence of your four notes and see how it affects the dynamic and emotions.

Don’t settle for your first idea.
Record and collect your music ideas, step aside for a while and listen to them with fresh ears. Keep the parts that sound strong and cut those that don’t work out.

What Makes a Good Melody? 

There are a few factors that create a good melody: 

1. Whistling Parts

Some producers call it a “whistle factor”. Your song should stay in the range that allows listeners to whistle it easily. Typically such melodies’ range includes an octave and a half. For instance, if you have a song in C major, you can go higher up to G and lower to F. Staying within an octave and a half helps your song stay singable. 

2. Melodic and Rhythmic Motives

A motive (also known as motif) is the short musical cell or a little idea that goes through the entire piece.  These cells can base on pitch and create melodic parts, but they can also be rhythmic. Both types work as identifiers and make the melody recognizable.

3. Rising Emotion

If you look at any favourite melody, it always has the rise, gets the peak and drops off. Apply this to your own melodies. The peak shouldn’t happen halfway through the melody as you need to build the excitement along the way. That’s why it’s better to have this moment close to the end. 

How to Create a Memorable Melody: Three Methods that Work

• Idea. Start with a small motive and use it as a shape. Follow your ear, paying attention to the rhythm and intervals. Ensure your next part has the rhythmic motive similar to the first one and then add some rising emotion at the end of the melody. Play it and build as it goes.
• Embellishing the Basic Shape. You can play some notes and embellish them. In this way, you take a specific shape but include notes of different length without breaking the basic idea.
• Intervals. You can start creating a memorable melody with some noticeable intervals and let them inspire you for greater ideas. For instance, use any minor interval — like a minor 7th — and let it develop your idea. In this way, the interval already works as the motif. Melodies don’t live in a vacuum, so let the chords inform your note choices, emphasizing tones to build emotional tension.

Quick tip on checking whether the melody you create is memorable: Record the part you’re working with and then leave it for 30 minutes. Come back, listen to the recorded part  for just a few seconds and then try to play it again and record what you’re playing this time. Now compare two options that you have to see what left and what changed. This method helps you use your memory for the process of extracting the most memorable parts of your melody. 

Another significant step for your songwriting process is to learn from your favorite songs. Explore their contours, the rhythm, and the phrasing. You can also borrow some techniques and experiment with them to make your own melody ideas. 

Final Thought

Writing a memorable melody is an interesting process that happens partly with intuition, partly based on your craft. But creating a melody that sticks isn’t just about luck. You should rely on a few things: your technique, emotion that you want to express, and a little bit of boldness. As a songwriter, you should trust your instincts, consider shaping and developing your initial ideas, refining your work, experimenting with phrasing and accents. The more you practice, the more ideas you receive and with each next step they can get better and better. Once you find what resonates with you, it will also resonate with people.

Do you feel short of ideas? Check out our article for tips on How to Stay Inspired and Motivated as a Musician.

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