How to Write a Melody: 12 Steps in Creating a Simple Melody

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Would you like to learn how to write a melody?

Here you'll learn step by step how to write your first melody in this music theory lesson about music composition for beginners.

Learn How to Write a Melody

A melody can be short or long. Simple, plain, weird, sweet...anything at all. But it can be hard to start composing a melody when anything is possible...

This lesson is an exercise in how to write a melody step by step. (Remember that anything can be adjusted as you wish- it's your melody, after all!) It's designed for beginners to get you started and over any writing blocks.

How to write a melodyLearn how to write a melody.
Free printable staff paper

Tip: Make sure to print out some of my free printable staff paper before you begin!

Sharpen your pencil, and practice to write the notes, clefs etc. as you learn about them. This will make everything you learn here easier to remember.

Click here to get your FREE printable staff paper!

How to Write a Melody in 12 Simple Steps

1. Pick a Scale

Pick a scale. It could be any scale or mode, but I will ask you to pick either a major or a minor scale for this exercise. This is because it is easy, to begin with (and to find chords that match later).

2. Draw a Graphic Outline

Draw a simple graphic outline of how you’d like your melody to move in pitches. Up or down, big jumps or smooth.

Draw a picture; no notes yet. As you imagine the visual outline of the melody, also imagine the sound, rhythm, speed, etc. So your graphic melody idea might look something like this:

Melodic outlineJust draw an outline of how you'd like your melody to move...

Keep it simple. Nothing fancy. This is only to have a basic idea of the melody's shape and to help start your creative juices flowing!

3. Decide How Many Measures

Decide how many measures you would like the melody to be. It's a good idea to start with 4 or 8 bars. It gives an excellent balance and is easy to work with when you start learning how to write a melody.

4. Divide the Graphic in Parts

Divide your graphic by the number of measures you decided. 4 or 8 parts, or «measures» where it seems to make sense (visually).

5. Scale and Key Signature

Write your scale and its key signature. It is the primary material for your melody. Like this example in C major:

Writing a scaleFor this exercise I have used a C major scale.

Essential and valuable "hook" notes are the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 7th (leads "home" to the 8th/1st). These are great to lead toward, rest on, and sometimes start a measure.

6. Prepare Your Staff Lines

Prepare a staff with a G-clef and key signature. Do not write a time signature; we don’t know what rhythm will fit your melody yet! But do draw bar lines for the number of measures you decided on.

7. Write End Note

To set the mood of the piece to reflect the scale you chose, end your melody on the first note of the scale. In the example, this is C. So in the last measure, I write the note C as the last note.

8. Pick Notes From the Scale

Now, look at your graphic diagram. Pick notes from the scale at the height you wanted for each measure to shape the melodic outline.

Use only indications of notes or whole notes. (The note values we’ll decide later.) You are free to change your mind whenever you want. 

Melody draftHere the melody roughly follows the outline I decided earlier.

What Makes a Good Melody?

  • A good melody is in a comfortable range to sing or play.
  • It has repeated parts, which could be both in the melody and rhythm.
  • A good melody is interesting but doesn't have too many ideas to get confusing.
  • It may have some elements of surprise, perhaps an exciting interval or surprising landing note, but used sparely.

9. Keep The Melody Smooth

Does the outline look good visually? Are there any larger interval jumps?

Most singers and instrumentalists do not enjoy huge jumps in the music.

To make the melody smoother, ensure an interval of a 7th goes to the following note up; the octave, that any intervals larger than a 5th are not used too often, and avoid jumps larger than an octave.

10. Test!

First «taste» test. Play the melody on your instrument. Get a feel for which notes want to go faster or slower and if they like to be grouped somewhere. Make any changes you like.

11. Add Rhythm

Now start jotting in the rhythm. Make notes you'd like to be faster 8th or 16th notes; longer notes quarter, half, or whole. Keep it simple.

Feel what notes you want more emphasized. This will give you an idea of what meter the piece wants to be in! Heavier notes could actually be the main beats. Mark them out. Make any changes or adjustments that you like.

12. Meter and Time Signature

What do you think the meter is? Do you feel the melody in 2, 3, 4 beats per measure, or something else? (If you have trouble with musical meter, you can check out my lesson here.)

Decide the time signature you feel is the most appropriate, and adjust the note values for all measures. Play through the melody and make any corrections you like.

Repeated rhythm patterns are excellent. Try to incorporate that!

Composing a melodyA happy little tune!

All done? The tune might surprise you and get a «life» of its own! Try not to be a perfectionist, especially if this is your first try to learn how to write a melody.

OK. Done ! Time to move on to how to add a chord sequence that fits with the melody>>>

Read More About Writing Music