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Writing A Countermelody

A countermelody is a complimentary melody played simultaneously with the main melody to add musical interest. To write an effective countermelody, one should first write out the chord progression to understand the harmonic structure. Then compose a new melody that uses notes from the chords but is different from the main melody. The rhythm of the countermelody should complement that of the main melody, having more activity when the main melody is less active, and vice versa. The document provides instructions for a task to create a countermelody for a given melody in a Sibelius file using chord tones and a blues scale.

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Rachel Jade
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1K views

Writing A Countermelody

A countermelody is a complimentary melody played simultaneously with the main melody to add musical interest. To write an effective countermelody, one should first write out the chord progression to understand the harmonic structure. Then compose a new melody that uses notes from the chords but is different from the main melody. The rhythm of the countermelody should complement that of the main melody, having more activity when the main melody is less active, and vice versa. The document provides instructions for a task to create a countermelody for a given melody in a Sibelius file using chord tones and a blues scale.

Uploaded by

Rachel Jade
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Writing a Countermelody

A countermelody is a complimentary melody that is played at the


same time as the main melody of a song. It adds melodic and
rhythmic interest to a piece.
See below some steps to writing an effective countermelody.
1.

Write out the chord progression. This will give you the basic
harmonic structure of the song.

2.

Write a new melody, that both works with the chord progression
and the original melody. I.e. aim to use notes that are in the chord but
are different to the notes used in the melody.

3.

Adjust the countermelodys rhythm to compliment the


rhythm of the main melody. This step is crucial to making a
countermelody work well. Heres the basic rule: where the chorus
melody is rhythmically active, allow the countermelody to be less
active. Where the chorus melody is rhythmically slower, allow the
countermelody to become more active (i.e. use shorter, quicker note
durations).
Task
Create a countermelody for a given melody.
Steps:

1. Open the Sibelius file called "Countermelody Task," from the music
folder in the student resources drive.
2. Listen to the file and observe where the melody is 'active' and
'inactive'.
3. Create a new instrument in Sibelius.
4. Using chordal notes (notes from the chord) and notes from the blues
scale create a countermelody for the given melody following the
AAB structure.

Good Luck

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