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 or skipwise, respectively.

Related Topics:
Melody - Successive - Pitches - Notes - Conjunct - Disjunct - Step - Skip

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Bruno Nettl (1956, p.51-53) describes various types of melodic movement or contour:

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• Ascending
• Descending
• Undulating: equal movement in both of the above directions
• Pendulum: extreme undulation which uses a large range and large intervals
• Tile, terrace, or cascading: a number of descending phrases in which each phrase begins on a higher pitch than the last ended
• Arc
• Rise: may be considered a musical form, a contrasting section of higher pitch, a "musical plateau"

Other examples include:

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• Double tonic: smaller pendular motion in one direction

These all may be modal frames or parts of modal frames.

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Melodic motion: Source ►