If I had to make one criticism about most modern rock music, or just modern music in general, it would be: No one pays attention to melody these days. Although that statement is not entirely true, it does hold strong to the majority of music that crowds the airwaves today. If we are to go back and examine early rock and roll and pop music, it more than evident that most songs were written completely around the vocal melody. Highly successful, popular, and critically acclaimed groups, such as Radiohead, Weezer, and the Flaming Lips have a clear grasp on how to compose a melody; nevertheless, each day it becomes more and more apparent that the majority of new rock/pop artists don’t have the slightest clue when it comes to melody.
Why Melody is So Important: A melody is what makes a song unique. Without melody it would be difficult to tell most music apart. That is why you often hear people say “This music all sounds the same to me.” They say that because, well… it does. Songwriters constantly steal chords and rhythms from other musicians without anyone ever noticing. The fact is, there is only limited number of chords in music. However, if a songwriter were to steal a popular melody, one would easily be able to recognize the stolen melody. The average person is usually unaware that the reason they like a song is because of the melody. They may think it’s because of the guitars, or because of the band’s style, but when they’re walking down the street, humming the song in their head, it’s the melody they’re humming. If you want people to remember your music, you need to write strong and distinctive melodies. If you want to be as successful as possible in the music business, you need to write strong and distinctive melodies. Unless you are catering to a specific genre of music that relies on not having melody; e.g., hardcore, melodies should become the primary focus in your composing.
The First Step: If you think your songs might be lacking a catchy melody, review your material. Start by trying to think of, or hum your songs in your head. Are you able to? If you are, the songs should come to you pretty easily. If you’re having a lot of trouble doing this exercise, it’s time to pick up your instrument and analyze your tunes. This is going to require some basic music theory, so if you are unfamiliar with chord structure and musical keys, you’ll need to educate yourself before you go any further. Assuming you have a basic knowledge of this, I’ll continue. You should be able to adapt your vocal melody to your instrument by singing it aloud and matching the pitches. Once you have done this, begin playing the melody against the chords. Are all of the notes in key? Does the melody compliment the chords, or is it fighting against them? These are the things you should try to ascertain whilst doing this exercise.
Study Other Songwriters and Composers: One of the best ways to improve your ability to write a melody, as well as your overall songwriting skills is by analyzing other’s music. When examining melodies, some of the best artists works to explore are those by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Nirvana, and Radiohead. I would also suggest songs performed by Motown artists, such as The Temptations and Marvin Gay. All of the aforementioned have topped the charts world wide, and have created music that we still remember today. By examining their songs you’ll be able to get an understanding of how they used intervals, chromaticism, and basic diatonic structures to make their music lasting and memorable.
Some Common Mistakes: Although there are no rules in music, there are some common techniques that are tried and true. There are also common mistakes songwriters often make. The first one that comes to mind is completely ignoring melody. Often times a songwriter will compose parts for every instrument in the band, as well as lyrics, and then quickly throw together the vocals at the end. You should think of your chords and vocal melody as one complete piece of music. Like a solid unit. I would actually suggest writing the lyrics to fit the melody, instead of the other way around. Have you ever changed the lyrics to a popular song as a joke? Use this same approach when writing your songs. Finish all of the music first, including the melody, and then write your lyrics around that melody. Another common error people make is starting their melody on the root note of the first chord in a progression. This approach is perfectly alright, and many excellent songs follow this formula; however, you may find that you are able to add a unique quality to your melodies by starting on the fifth or the third, as apposed to the root note.
