Vocal songs, Melody?

[mojobone]

You are not the first melodicist (did I invent a word?) to struggle with this question; Yip Harburg would have had a tough time coming up with "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" if he'd relied on his limited vocal range. (yeah, I know, he just did the lyrics, bear with me)I think you should sit at a piano when writing melodies, at least some of the time. (I read somewhere, once, that without the invention of the pianoforte, Western music wouldn't even sound Western) The piano provides a visual reference of all the available notes, laid out in order from lowest to highest (thank you, Captain Obvious) and can help you break free from the limitations of your larynx. The width of your hand can keep you from inventing stuff that's impossible to sing, or you can use both hands to really soar.(though there's something to be said for melodies that mere mortals can successfully navigate-I mean, really; how many people can jes' sing the holy heck out of "The Star Spangled Banner"?)The piano fairly forces you to build a solid melody; you can't use bends or vibrato to bring out any emotion that isn't there in the notes themselves, because all you get from the piano(forte) is loud/soft-make it happen on the keyboard, and a really good singer can go to town with the trills, warbles, bends and swoops, taking the emotions you put in at the piano to a whole new level.

[lindpop]

Mojobone, thanks for the tip on the piano and others who's mentioned it as a melody finder.

[Mark Kaufman]

I write a lot of different ways, but for a melody that is meant to be sung, I'll usually create it by singing over a chord progression (which I'm probably still writing). I usually don't use an instrument to compose the melody unless the melody is going to be played on an instrument, like a melodic guitar hook or a mandolin line. Sometimes writing a melody on piano gets you into trouble when you try to sing it. (Hmm...sure sounded good on the piano...what happened...? )I spend more time trying to figure out how to play the melody on an instrument.

[suzdoyle]

This may sound weird, but I have my students feel different styles of music (as singers) by moving their bodies in different ways.For example,1. straight posture formal/ standing in one place for opera/ classical music2. skiing down a hill/ having a bowel movement for Rock **3. Urban posing for R&B and Rap4. More inward for singer/ songwriter5. Side to side for gospelIt's especially fun to quickly switch styles and notice how that changes one's posture and body movements.** I know this sounds weird, but it really works!I think a lot of feeling the style of music comes from the body. And that the feel of music flows more readily when it comes from how the body moves, rather than from thinking about it. ,Suz

[k o star]

hahahahahaha!!!! Bowel movement for Rock... that's lengendary!Diarrhea for Thrash Metal! I can soon market my music as a laxative product... heheh!or Something like... METAL-mucil - High in fibre & distortion!

[mojobone]

Melvin And The Brown-Notes?

[chitownjerry]

May 29, 2009, 9:02pm, suzdoyle wrote:This may sound weird, but I have my students feel different styles of music (as singers) by moving their bodies in different ways.But what posture do you use for blues???Jerry

[suzdoyle]

Hey -- a free bottle of METAL-mucil sold with each CD sounds like a good marketing plan to me. !! Hmmm, what posture for blues? Relaxed, loose, heavy, sway-y -methinks. Sunglasses a must!





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(Cook, Dixon & Young, AKA "Three Mo' Tenors) Any other posture ideas for styles of songs?Suz

[sgs4u]

OMG, these guys are frikkin AWESOME. Thanks Suz!Jun 3, 2009, 11:32pm, suzdoyle wrote:Hey -- a free bottle of METAL-mucil sold with each CD sounds like a good marketing plan to me. !! Hmmm, what posture for blues? Relaxed, loose, heavy, sway-y -methinks. Sunglasses a must!





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(Cook, Dixon & Young, AKA "Three Mo' Tenors) Any other posture ideas for styles of songs?Suz

[mojobone]

Yeah, that's the stuff.