Melody is the linear succession of individually sounded notes. Melody is often contrasted with harmony, which involves chords (comprising two or more simultaneously sounded notes). A work’s melody is what we consider the tune of a piece. Indeed it is most usually the melody of a piece that we hum when trying to recall it; a piece’s melody is typically its most distinctive and memorable feature. As such, melody is the musical element that most easily lends itself to claims of originality. The example below presents the   melody of “Yankee Doodle” and then that melody with harmonic accompaniment.

Audio File

Yankee Doodle Melody and Harmony

In popular music, where the vast majority of works are songs, the principal melody tends to be sung with lyrics, and is thus further distinguished from the other musical elements of harmony, rhythm, meter, and so on. As a more general concept, however, the term applies to most of a piece’s pitch elements that are not chords. Thus, for example, a pop song might begin with an introductory guitar solo before the singer begins; that solo could be considered a “melody” if it is playing a tune rather than a mere succession of chords.



References to other Glossary terms: