how do you write great, professional, commercial, catchy melodies?

[grn]

does anyone have a sure-fire way of writing GREAT melodies? does anyone have a formula they use? it's easy to make songs sound good with good backing or a chorus to make it catchy (even if it's not a GREAT chorus)... you can use studio tricks like effects or double tracking... but if you just have an acoustic guitar and a vocal... how do you write a great melody? to me melody is most important and a great melody gets me every time.

how do professional songwriters do it? is it all that music theory? can they just bust one out? or is it still inspiration? ahhhhhh!

[Beltrom]

Dick Weissman's "Creating melodies" gave me some nice ideas and tools. Note that it's a bit basic and not a songwriting book but a melody-writing book.

[Gidge]

Songwriting is an art and takes creativity......so i think its a large percentage inspiration, and then a small but most important part is shaping it into something commercial.....

if i had a guitar part and some lyrics, id put the guitar part on tape and loop it....then id probably start with the hook line of the chorus and just start singing it different ways until something clicks.....it might just be 2 notes that sound great but its a start....then you might find the next great note and the next until you have yourself a hit chorus......

now, books can teach you alot of things but they cant give you creativity.....you need to work at that hard.....

[Layla Nahar]

I think lots of work, everyday, writing songs is the only thing to do. I have a freind who is like, 19 years old and he just matter of fact told me he's written about 100 songs. Another time he mentioned that you have to write at least 50 shit songs before you get anything half decent. It really takes a lot of writing, everyday, before you start to see good results. I'm an adult beginner, and I've been writing and working on music regularly for about a year (before that I was at it part time and inconsistantly for about 2 years) and I'm just starting to get a bit closer to the results I want.

I really do believe that the abiltiy to write lyrics and melodies is a gift. HOWEVER, the ability to write good lyrics and good melodies only comes with a LOT OF HARD WORK

Take any help you can get, books, advice from freinds, writing in someone else's style for practice ...

good luck

[Beltrom]

Originally Posted by Gidge

now, books can teach you alot of things but they cant give you creativity.....you need to work at that hard.....

Yes they can!
And it still is hard work...

I don't want to argue with you. But that's one of the important things I got out from that book. It showed me other ways to come up with melodies. So I "left the box" I had been in. In essence creativity...

[Beltrom]

I just want to add that this is the only book with that focus I've read. So I'm not saying it's the best or even "good". I'm only stating that it did have an impact on my sorry self...

[ecktronic]

I dont really beleive in the books and the theory aspects of music and writing music. I still like to think of creating music as mysticall and free. But theory and books turn it into maths or rules kind of if you know what i mean. Im afraid that if i read up on books and theory it would change and spoil my creative freeness as it were.
Melody is a very hard one to come up with. I mean take a four chord 4/4 time chorus. There are alot of possibilities, but most of the good ones have been used already. One of my favourites is coldplay, the lyrics start with "in my place".
I feel that music is at the stage that it is getting more creative with time changes and effects and so on, but one thing that wont really change is melody. Its like melody is in our instinct. Most can enjoy melody, but only few can create.

[bsanfordnyc]

Originally Posted by ecktronic

I dont really beleive in the books and the theory aspects of music and writing music. I still like to think of creating music as mysticall and free. But theory and books turn it into maths or rules kind of if you know what i mean. Im afraid that if i read up on books and theory it would change and spoil my creative freeness as it were.
Melody is a very hard one to come up with. I mean take a four chord 4/4 time chorus. There are alot of possibilities, but most of the good ones have been used already. One of my favourites is coldplay, the lyrics start with "in my place".
I feel that music is at the stage that it is getting more creative with time changes and effects and so on, but one thing that wont really change is melody. Its like melody is in our instinct. Most can enjoy melody, but only few can create.

What do you mean you don't beleive in music theory? That's like saying you want to be a physicist but don't believe in the laws of physics.

You can't get creative with a medium until you've got a grasp on the basics...

I think we're all dumber for having read your post, with all due respect.

[philboyd studge]

I'm coming up on 40 years of songwriting and in looking back, I think the easist method is to creatively steal.

[distortedrumble]

if there was a formula....i think that would kill creativity. i also dont believe you have to write 50 shitty songs to come up with something good. just start playing your instrument and get a good chord progression and sing what comes to mind. its easier for me to come up with melody lines faster than how a verse should go. i think if you have to write 50 shitty songs to come up with something good then thats sad...that person might want to stop for a little while and get a more accurate shot instead of firing off songs and seeing what sticks

[F_cksia]

My concrete theory: get a catchy chord progression like G Em Am D (just an idea). Then take the 3rd of the main chords, wich here will be a B an a C, and base a simple melody around those, hitting those notes at that chords, and primes or 5ths at the others. In between the chords changes, place notes in the scale of the first chord, moving not further away than three whole steps.

There you go.

[david strait]

One thing that has helped me write more melodic guitar parts (i know we're talking more about melodies for vocals here, but maybe this is relevant) is transrcibing music written for different instuments and playing them on guitar. Alot of times it seems like some melodies fall more naturally on one instument than another. Learning parts from jazz that are played on horns can sometimes be tricky and lead me to view the fretboard a little differently.

[mikeh]

While Philboyd's comment (part in jest) that "stealing" is the easy way - what he says is very true.

You need to listen to everything, in particular the "best" songs in what ever style(s) you want to create - and "steal ideas". And yes, reading instructional books and learning theory is part of the craft.

Like Philboyd, I've been writing and playing several instruments for about 40 years - and the more I learn (from listening, reading, etc) the better I get.

Do not fool yourselves into thinking that formal (or informal) studies will dull your creative drive - if anything it will free you to be more creative.

An artist with many colors can often create something perceived more lovely than an artist who works with only black and white. Yes, I know some stark black and white works of art are indeed very interesting, but I doubt any artist would work in that format forever.

[Gidge]

beltrom, lol, i wont argue.....

books can help one develop their creativity or give them ideas to help spark their creativity, but it wont GIVE them the creativity......

[dirtythermos]

Here are some specific things to play with, for commercial, catchy choruses.

* Keep the melody simple; a lot of times, simple = catchy.

* If you have a really cool chord change, say in or out of a borrowed chord, find the one note that exists in both chords and sing it through the change. By keeping the melody static on that note, you emphasize the chord change which can sound very cool.

* Start your chorus on the root and use the dominant seventh at the end so that your ears "beg" for it to repeat. Example: Em D C B7

* Write a short 4-line chorus, with the hook as the last line. Then make up an additional first 2 lines, and repeat the chorus singing the additional lines the 2nd time. Tongue-in-cheek example:

He was my companion
Always by my side
He stuck with me until the end
That old dog was my best friend

He was my drinkin' buddy
Every Friday night
He stuck with me until the end
That old dog was my best friend

* Recording wise, double (or triple) track the chorus, double track the harmonies, really stack up the vocals

[Aaron Cheney]

Here's my take on some of these issues:

I agree with Layla. If you want to write great songs you must write lots and lots of songs, not all of which will be great. Quality only exists in the midst of quantity. To develop your ability you must become a constant writer, keeping your mind constantly engaged in working out the puzzles of songwriting.

I agree w/ Philboyd. At it's genesis, creativity is simply copying something you like. You can cloak it in terms such as "inspiration" or "influence", but it's all the same thing.

I disagree w/ Ektronic. Books can help. I highly recommend this one. Creativity and "rules" are not mutually exclusive. Knowledge is power, and any time I can gain knowledge from someone w/ more experience than me, be it via song coaching or lessons, a book, co-writing, or whatever, I am all over it!

As far as grn's original question, there is no "sure fire" way to write a good melody. Of that I'm sure. Here are some things I try to keep in mind:

1: Keep your phrases short, sometimes even as few as two or three notes per phrase. This makes your melody more memorable. The opening phrase that begins the melody for "Hey Jude" begins with two notes. Every phrase that follows is short. Pretty memorable, huh?

2: Keep your melody linear (going up and down a scale without lots of big interval jumps). This makes it easier to sing.

3: Write the hook of your melody so that it makes it clear where the title goes - even when the lyrcs aren't being sung. Use a dramatic pause or a sudden change in register to surprise the listener.

Writing great melodies is a never-ending quest.

A
www.aaroncheney.com

[Garry Sharp]

"Writing great melodies is a never-ending quest." Yup.

Keith Richards (who knows a thing or two about this) said that he has no idea where they come from - he says that they are there and they just find him. Personally, I find that just tinkering around, whether with a guitar, a voice or a keyboard, playing around with things and honing them leads to some interesting melodic ideas. As for professional, commercial, catchy melodies, well, that's a hard one....

[wedge]

Melodies tend to spill out of me when needed. However, they're not all great, so when I feel the need to refine, my general rule of thumb is to create movement. People like melodies that travel places. There are exceptions, of course, but movement in a melody is generally a good quality. Actually, if you think about it, it's part of the definition of a melody: a phrase that grabs you then takes you along for a little trip.

Having said all that, since you're looking for specific techniques, my advice would be to go up and down and up again. Push it. Write melodies that sound like a roller coaster. Then, after you've shaken off this particular type of rust, pull back the reigns a bit in case they're sounding a little cartoony.

Classical music is a great place for inspiration. Take Beethoven for instance. His melodies can be extrmemly simple, yet travel very far. Tchaikovsky's music has wonderful melodies, too. More complex, but beautiful...

[grn]

I don't know if all this has helped me or hurt me. I, personally, have written well over 100 to 150 songs... many of them are pure crap, but I have a few good ones. I just wondered how some writers (especially professional, paid ones) can come up with a great melody all the time, on demand. Like those writers ("the matrix") hired by record companies, if you've heard about it... or even back in the day how did Leiber and Stoler (I think that was their names) always come up with an awesome melody. Am I searching for something that doesn't exist? Am I just searching for the perfect melody? Am I in love with an impossible dream? I don't know.

[mikeh]

Over the years I've read many articles and interviews about various writers who had very sucessful track records (the Lieber, Kings Manns, etc. etc).

What I always found interesting is that there seemed to be very little common thread other than a few very basic concepts:

1) Write everyday - make it a routine, consider it a vocation
2) Have a passion for writing, which drives you to improve
3) Be prepared when inspiration does hit.

Many of the very successful writers seem to accept that as writers we simply are conduits for magic that is in the air. Sometimes it channels itself through us with ease and sometimes we must work very hard to pull the magic from the air. That being said, clearly there is no single secret.

Like you, I've written somewhere in the 200 song range (over many years) Most are crap, but I have maybe 20-25 that I consider fairly decent a couple that are quite good and one that I feel blessed to have created. Even when I write a good one, it is often followed by some dogs. However, the more I write, the less crap I write (I'm learning when to pull the plug rather than trying to "turn a sow's ear into a silk purse"). I've had some very limited commercial success, which paid for a couple of pieces of gear but certainly not enough to quit my day job! However, to me, writing (and performing) is it's own reward, regardless of the level of commercial success.

Many of the best writers speak highly of collaborations (and in fact many of the most enduring songs were written by more than one person). I have not been able to find a consistant writing partner, but almost without fail the songs I write with someone turn out better than the songs I write alone. Of the songs I've had published 75% were with a partner. A couple of those were "re-writes" of things I originally did solo - the fresh perspective almosts always adds a new life.

Forgive my wordiness, this is a subject I have passion for. It sounds like you are taking the craft seriously, which certainly improves your chances of having some success (whatever that phrase may mean). However, always do it for the love of it first and formost, that is the only real secret to success.

[andyhix]

Originally Posted by ecktronic

I dont really beleive in the books and the theory aspects of music and writing music. I still like to think of creating music as mysticall and free. But theory and books turn it into maths or rules kind of if you know what i mean. Im afraid that if i read up on books and theory it would change and spoil my creative freeness as it were.

Has anyone seen the movie about Jackson Pollock that came out not too long ago? He's the painter that sorta started the whole wild random pours, and splashes of paint thing. Completely out there at the time, and to the novice art appreciator, probably looked stupid and messy. BUT...there was reason behind it, and before he ever started painting that way, he spend a ton of time learning how to paint in the traditional sense and was great at it - amazing landscapes, and whatnot...

The point? If you want to break the rules, or make your own rules, do so with purpose, and first learn what the rules are and how to use them, and you will be better for it. Its what makes the difference between a Jackson Pollock, and any 4 year old with a bunch of open paint cans.

[mrx]

Originally Posted by philboyd studge

...I think the easist method is to creatively steal.

There was a serious quote from Sammy Hagar on this subject 15 or 20 years ago - there's a certain 'length' of music (4 or 8 bars, I think) that has to be copied in order to be guilty of copyright infringement, so he said there's a huge quantity of 'building blocks' - 1 and 2 bar phrases - that can be used to build 'new' melodies.

That new Lonestar single, 'Let's Be Us Again', is a perfect example - slight variations of the chorus hook have been used over and over.

[Beltrom]

Originally Posted by andyhix

The point? If you want to break the rules, or make your own rules, do so with purpose, and first learn what the rules are and how to use them, and you will be better for it. Its what makes the difference between a Jackson Pollock, and any 4 year old with a bunch of open paint cans.

True, I started writing something with this intent as an answer to what ecktronic said (and his view is not that uncommon), but I couldn't get it right so I gave up.

[jeffrydada]

AAAgh! How?? you mean there's a way to do it? I will admit there are people who seem to have a gift or something. I've been playing and writing off and on for 30 years. When I'm actively writing (like I am Now) I crank out about 15 songs a month of which usually I get 1 or 2 that have a marketable sound. But I think it has more to do with being diligent with a piece than getting lucky. Knowing the different tools of writing and honing your skills at using them is important. Listening to how others do it is just as important. And Garry I think once apon a time Kieth Richards did know but that was many many beers ago!
J.

[bbop73]

There is no "sure-fire" way of writing great melodies. I'd say with all of this information everyone has posted, you should try any or all of it to see if it works for you. Knowing your instrument of choice very well and always striving to improve your knowledge of theory and playing never hurts. Also listen to as many artists as possible in various genres of music. Believe me, you will create melody. The question is: Will you be content with it? Write, write, write, then write some more. Good luck.