Podcast Ep.#5 – “Ok, Let’s Talk About MELODY”

Overview

Melody is one of the parts of songwriting people most often ask for help with, and one of the hardest to explain. Answering a question from Sunniva, a songwriter in their community, Keppie and Benny look at how to learn from the melodies you love, why melody can feel so personal and hard to talk about, and what to do when you are mostly feeling your way forward. They sing examples, try ideas out on the spot, and share stories from their own writing. It’s a practical conversation, and you might come away with a few simple ways to listen more closely and a little more confidence in your own melodies.

Episode Highlights

Listening with a purpose
David Bowie said he only listened to music he could steal from. Keppie and Benny share that spirit, with one condition: close listening is only useful when it gives you something to write a melody of your own.

Seeing the shape of a melody
Somewhere Over the Rainbow opens with a big leap and then tumbles down, and Don’t Know Why, made famous by Norah Jones, has a surprisingly similar shape. Keppie uses that shape to sing a brand new melody on the spot.

Pitch and rhythm, one at a time
What happens to Fly Me to the Moon if every note is the same length? Benny shows why it helps to treat rhythm and pitch separately, and play with one at a time.

Contrast between sections
Two notes bouncing back and forth would make a dull melody on their own, yet after the opening of Somewhere Over the Rainbow they work beautifully. We look at why, and land on a simple rule of thumb for what to do after your verse.

Why melody feels hard to talk about
Melody carries our words, and usually our own voice, so it can feel very personal. Keppie and Benny explore why that makes it hard to talk about, and why not liking a melody in your own voice says little about the melody itself.

When feeling your way isn’t enough
Is it a problem to feel your way through a melody? Keppie tells the story of the rehearsal where her band asked which bit was the chorus, and Benny shares the questions he asks when he looks back at what he’s written.

The right melody for the song
We finish by asking whether “great” is even the right word for a melody, or whether the better question is what suits the song.