Composers often use three methods to convey movement in music.
The first is increasing/decreasing the tempo.
The second is shortening/increasing the rhythmic durations.
The third is a combination.
We are interested in the second method for now.
Many people, whether they have graduated from music school or are self-taught, are familiar with the basic note durations. We know whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, thirty-second notes, and sixty-fourth notes. In addition, there are dotted notes (one or two). But few have been taught how to manipulate note durations when composing a melody or creating a part.
The principle is simple, though.
To speed up a melody, we must shorten the durations. To slow it down, we must increase the rhythmic durations.
It seems simple, but let’s say you’ve written a melody in a steady rhythm using quarter notes and, based on your own idea, decided to increase the rhythmic speed. If you suddenly turn quarter notes into eighth notes in the next measure (see diagram above), it will become jarring; you’ll shorten the musical space within the measure; all of this will go against the principles of melody composition.
The best option is to add eighth notes only fragmentarily, and then gradually transition to an eighth-note rhythm (see diagram above).
Then the melody will gradually accelerate, and it will seem quite logical. I think you’ve got the gist. If you haven’t, it’s because it wasn’t interesting.
There are many nuances to properly constructing a melody and creating a part. To begin to understand them and write truly good pieces, you need to either delve into the essence yourself (this will take longer than you think) or enroll in a teacher.
By learning now how professionals create melody, you can become a cut above many musicians.
Rehearse, develop, and improve!
