MELODIC PATTERNS
We talk about melodic patterns when we find small musical fragments that we have already heard before and so we can predict how they will evolve.
We dare say that the melodic pattern par excellence is the riff (we apologize to any experts if we said a scuffle). We understand a riff to be an easily recognisable short melody that is repeated, normally every eight. These melodies can be identical and are played over and over again. They may also have slight variations, adapt to the harmony of the phrase, or move along the piece. There may be different riffs in the same song and they may be played separately or overlap each other.
The riff is a kind of gift for those who like to interact with music. This is because it represents a very well-defined idea, with a very marked rhythmic component and, because of its repetitiveness, we can predict it very easily. Once the orchestra has shown us the riff we can begin to "play" with it. In fact the riff is used by the musicians themselves to simplify the improvisation of soloists and, therefore, also constitutes the ideal framework to create and express ourselves as dancers.
If you want to see an example of a riff you can go to the page on 1 recognition where, in section 4, you will find a video of Count Basie's Easin 'It, where we have added a minute that allows us to follow the riffs. You can also go to the page about the riffs on this website.
On the other hand, a certain dialogue between the solo instruments (those that play the melody) and the accompaniment is very common in the swing music we dance to. This question-answer game (call & response) also tends to show certain predictive melodic patterns. Although we can not predict exactly what they will be like, we can make a very good guess.
One example of this call & response pattern can be found in Rhythm Mad-Slim Gaillard. You can also listen to the first chorus of the song Let Me Off Uptown-The Delta Rhythm Boys or the song Hoy-Hoy-Cab Calloway. In the song Man From Mars-Artie Shaw, listen to minute 2.28 and you will find another quite common call & response pattern. Note that, within this chorus with an AABA structure, the melodic pattern of call & response is repeated in the three As and, on the other hand, it is not there in B. Remember that the B is introduced as a phrase that must contrast with A, so it is completely illogical for it to follow the same pattern.
Another example of a very common melodic pattern can be seen in one of the solos in the song On The Sunny Side of the Street by Ivanow Jazz Group. In this case the soloist uses two notes that are repeated making them increasingly sharper and louder.