Chapter Summary

A melody is a meaningful succession of pitches which may be characterized as tuneful, motivic, or lyrical in nature. A melody that recurs throughout a section, movement, or composition may be called a theme. The contour of a melodic phrase may be conjunct or disjunct. Melodies are punctuated by cadences of varying degrees of finality.

Melodies are based upon scales, including but not limited to the major, minor, chromatic, whole-tone, and pentatonic scales. Each pitch within the major or minor scale bears a specific relationship to the tonic.