Working with melody: 28 things to do with a tune [Part 1]

What you can do with a tune? How can you – as we say – develop melodies so you can write longer pieces without just stringing together lots of unrelated ideas? In this first video, we’ll cover simple and widely used techniques to keep your tune interesting.

Featuring interviews with Carly Paradis, Cassie Kinoshi, Ed O’Brien, Lowkey and Yazz Ahmed.

0:00 Intro
1:45 1. Change dynamics / volume
2:46 2. Change speed
5:24 3. Change register
7:54 4. Change the instrument
9:53 5. Change the voice
11:10 6. Harmonise
14:29 7. Decoration
17:41 8. Change the accompaniment pattern
20:04 9. Vary your accompaniment
21:26 10. Change mode
22:11 11. Modulation / changing key
22:54 12. Change the emotional tone altogether
24:32 13. Have no accompaniment

Watch part 2 of the 28 things to do with a tune here.

Check out these related videos:
Writing melodies
Taking care of the bass
Chords [Part 1]