Year 7 Composing Melodies

1. Sight singing melodies

You will compose melodies using notes from a major scale. First, sight sing these simple melodies to familiarise yourself with the notes you will use.

2. Composing a melody

(a) Begin by composing a rhythm

• Compose your rhythm in 'question and answer' phrases: connect the first and second phrases by using similar ideas.

• The phrases should be balanced (equal in length): 2 or 4 bars long

• End each phrase on a longer note

• Use a variety of notelengths: make your rhythm simple and memorable.

(b) Compose a melody

The best melodies are simple, memorable and, therefore, singable. Follow this guide to compose a simple, memorable melody. Test your melody by singing it.

3. Composing question and answer melodies

Sing these 'question' melodies.