1. Whole vs. Half steps Major Scale Solfege Dominant/Tonic
Melody
Whole vs. Half steps
Major Scale
Solfege
Dominant/Tonic

2. Whole vs. Half Steps
Melodies sound good to us because they follow specific rules, and contain certain pitches that relate to Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, etc. In order to understand melodies, we must understand scales. In order to understand scales, we must understand the building blocks of scales. Then, we’ll know why we use certain pitches and motions between pitches instead of others.

3. Whole vs. Half Steps on the piano
Half steps are from one key to its IMMEDIATE neighbor.
Whole steps are from one key to the next neighbor.

4. The Scale
99.99% of melodies that we as North Haveners can hum to ourselves are related to either the major or minor scale.
0.01% = strange modes, Church modes, post-tonal, microtonal: LATER
Major scale has:
Specific rules.
Certain pitches.
Minor later.

5. The Major Scale
A scale is a series of pitches in sequence that span the distance of an octave
The major scale is constructed of 8 pitches.
Let’s start with the C major scale

6. The Major Scale WHOLE WHOLE half WHOLE WHOLE WHOLE half
Pneumonic device: We Walked Home When We Walked Home.
Why is this important?
If I want to create a major scale by starting on other pitches, it will only sound “right” to me if I follow that same pattern of whole and half steps.
And I do want to start on other pitches! Imagine all music in key of C!

7. The Major Scale

8. Practice Using the piano, pick any key to start. Remember it!
Play a scale following this pattern: - W W H W W W H
Did you end one octave higher than your starting pitch??

9. Now: I know what pitches are found in a C major scale.
I want to create a melody using those pitches
Question: Can I use any of those 8 pitches, in any order?

10. The Major Scale: Solfege
As we said: 8 pitches
Each has a job, a role, a function, a tendency.
Scale degrees: ^1, ^2, ^3, ^4, ^5, ^6, ^7, ^1
Solfege: Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do

11. Functions/Tendencies of Major Scale
Scale Degree
Solfege
Function/Tendency 1 Do
Tonic 2 Re
Supertonic 3 Mi
Mediant 4 Fa
Subdominant 5
Sol
Dominant 6 La
Submediant 7 Ti
Leading tone

12. Therefore, the melody might not sound as “good.”
A “good” melody uses the pitches of a given scale in the way they were meant to be used.
If we put pitches in a random order, those pitches might not be able to serve their function in the best way possible.
Therefore, the melody might not sound as “good.”

13. Functions/Tendencies
Tonic (Do): home base, stable center
Dominant (Sol) and Leading tone (Ti): center of instability, desire to move to the tonic
Supertonic (Re) and Subdominant (Fa): also unstable, these pitches prepare to move to a dominant or leading tone
So, the logical order of melodies is:
Supertonic/Subdominant Dominant/Leading tone  Tonic

14. For example:
C major  C is Do Which works, which don’t? Why? 1 2 3

15. Composing a melody: guidelines
Consider the instrument/voice and its range when composing.
Avoid using consecutive, large leaps.
Follow any large leaps with a repeated pitch or step.
End on Do.
Precede Do with either the dominant or leading tone.

16. Practice
On your own, on a piece of paper to be submitted, compose a melody that has all of the following:
2 measures long
Treble or bass clef
Key of C major, C is Do.
If writing in treble clef, write within the range of middle C to 3rd space C.
If writing in bass clef, write within the range of 2nd space C to middle C.
Choose one meter: 2-4, 3-4, 4-4
End with a double bar line
Your last three notes should be: supertonic/subdominant  dominant/leading tone  tonic
When you are finished, I will perform the examples on piano for the class.