How to Write Melodies
()
About this ebook
Melody is the true heart of music—the identity of a composition, the vessel that carries the lyrics, the tune that you keep whistling on your way home from a concert. Composing melodies is often thought of as a mysterious process—a lightning bolt of inspiration delivered by the songwriter's muse—but in fact melody is an art that can be learned, honed, and perfected. This book teaches that art in an engaging and thoroughly accessible fashion. Starting from basics, it covers the essentials—rhythm, intervals, scales, and harmony—and builds on these simple principles to offer a wealth of advanced techniques and tricks. Every musical example in the book is accompanied by a downloadable audio track, allowing songwriters to increase their understanding of melody through both sight and sound.
How to Write Melodies is the only guide you’ll ever need for demystifying and perfecting the art of melody writing.
Rikky Rooksby
Rikky Rooksby is a guitar teacher, songwriter/composer, and writer on popular music. He is the author of How to Write Songs on Guitar (2000, revised edition 2009), Inside Classic Rock Tracks (2001), Riffs (2002, revised edition 2010), The Songwriting Sourcebook (2003, revised edition 2011), Chord Master (2004, revised edition 2016), Melody (2004), Songwriting Secrets: Bruce Springsteen (2005), How to Write Songs on Keyboards (2005), Lyrics (2006), Arranging Songs (2007), How to Write Songs in Altered Guitar Tunings (2010), and Songs and Solos (2014). He has also written fourteen Fastforward guitar tutors and arranged over three dozen chord songbooks, including The Complete Beatles. He has written entries on rock musicians for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and published interviews, reviews, and transcriptions in many UK music magazines. He is a member of the Society of Authors, Sibelius One, and the Vaughan Williams Society
Read more from Rikky Rooksby
Chord Master: How to Choose and Play the Right Guitar Chords Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Melody: How to Write Great Tunes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lyrics: Writing Better Words for Your Songs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Write Songs on Guitar: A Guitar-Playing and Songwriting Course Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Riffs: How to Create and Play Great Guitar Riffs Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How to Write Guitar Riffs: Create and Play Great Hooks for Your Songs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Write Chord Sequences: A Harmony Sourcebook for Songwriters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBruce Springsteen: Songwriting Secrets, Revised and Updated Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to How to Write Melodies
Related ebooks
Melody in Songwriting: Tools and Techniques for Writing Hit Songs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mastering Melody Writing: A Songwriter’s Guide to Hookier Songs With Pattern, Repetition, and Arc Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Songwriting: A Complete Guide to the Craft Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How to Write Chord Sequences: A Harmony Sourcebook for Songwriters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInspiration for Great Songwriting: for pop, rock & roll, jazz, blues, broadway, and country songwriters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Your Training Notebook On Pop Music Special Chord Progressions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Write Guitar Riffs: Create and Play Great Hooks for Your Songs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bruce Springsteen: Songwriting Secrets, Revised and Updated Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Write a Song in 30 Minutes or Less Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Easy Songwriting For The Beginner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Songwriting: The Words, the Music & the Money Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSquare One - A Western Music Theory Primer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Harmonize Chords to Melody Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMusic Theory and Songwriting Handbook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsQuickstart Guide to Songwriting Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio: For the Small Recording Studio Series, #4 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fundamentals of Music Composition: Learn Music Composition Step by Step: Music Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow To Write a Rock Song Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Hal Leonard Pocket Music Theory (Music Instruction): A Comprehensive and Convenient Source for All Musicians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Write and Record Your Own Songs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe 7 Theory: Discover the Secrets to Hearing Music & Playing Music Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBasic Harmony and Musicianship Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Instant Songwriting: Musical Improv from Dunce to Diva Part 2 (Decent Level) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFinding Chords to Match the Notes In Your Melody: A Manual for Songwriters and Musicians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Music Theory Field Manual Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIntro to Music Theory: The Nuts and Bolts of Music Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Write Raps: A Short Guide to Writing Raps Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Rhythmic Vocabulary: A Musician's Guide to Understanding and Improvising with Rhythm Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How To Remix Music Genres: A Remix Philosophy and Remix Music Genre Guide Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Music For You
Music Theory For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Circle of Fifths: Visual Tools for Musicians, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Me: Elton John Official Autobiography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Weird Scenes Inside The Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & The Dark Heart Of The Hippie Dream Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn Jazz Piano: book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Easyway to Play Piano: A Beginner's Best Piano Primer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Meaning of Mariah Carey Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Easy Piano Songs for Beginners: Simple Sheet Music of Famous Favorites: Easy Piano Songs for Beginners, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Guitar For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Singing For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure: Tools and Techniques for Writing Better Lyrics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Kids: An Autobiography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn Guitar A Beginner's Course Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Improvising Jazz Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming a Great Sight-Reader–or Not! Learn From My Quest for Piano Sight-Reading Nirvana Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Guitar Theory For Dummies: Book + Online Video & Audio Instruction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All You Need to Know About the Music Business: Eleventh Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBig Keyboard and Piano Chord Book: 500+ Keyboard and Piano Chords in a Unique Visual Format Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Caged System for Guitar Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Next to Normal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Everything Songwriting Book: All You Need to Create and Market Hit Songs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Piano Chords Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for How to Write Melodies
0 ratings0 reviews