Melodic motion
Melodic motion is the quality of movement of a melody, including nearness or farness of successive pitches or notes in a melody. This may be described as conjunct or disjunct, stepwise, skipwise or no movement, respectively. See also contrapuntal motion. In a conjunct melodic motion, the melodic phrase moves in a stepwise fashion; that is the subsequent notes move up or down a semitone or tone, but no greater. In a disjunct melodic motion, the melodic phrase leaps upwards or downwards; this movement is greater than a whole tone.
In popular Western music, a melodic leap of disjunct motion is often present in the chorus of a song, to distinguish it from the verses and captivate the audience.
In traditional culture music
Ethnomusicologist Bruno Nettl describes various types of melodic movement or contour to categorise a song's melody.There are three general categories, ascending, descending, and undulating:
- Ascending: Upwards melodic movement.
- Descending: Downwards melodic movement.
- Undulating: Equal movement in both directions, using approximately the same intervals for ascent and descent. Usually concludes with a descending progression.
- *Pendulum: Extreme form of undulating movement that covers a large range and uses large intervals is called pendulum-type melodic movement. Like undulating melodies, usually concludes with a descending progression.
He also identifies additional specialized types which characterise musical styles with exceptionally homogenous contours, named after the melody contour's trace.
- Tile, terrace, or cascading: a number of descending phrases in which each phrase begins on a higher pitch than the last ended.
- Arc: The melody rises and falls in roughly equal amounts, the curve ascending gradually to a climax and then dropping off
Other examples include:
- Double tonic: smaller pendular motion in one direction