Anatomy of a Melody, Part 1

Summary:

Using balance to create a successful melodic line — You are given a chord and a matching scale and told, “Now go improvise!” You begin to play and just cannot seem to express anything remotely satisfying. You figure maybe your ear is no good, or maybe you just don’t have what it takes to be a good improviser. Sound familiar? Don’t lose hope just yet! Improvising using chords and scales gets easier if you take some time to examine what really makes a solid melody. The key to crafting a successful melody lies in understanding one simple concept: balance.

read more...