Melody vs. rhythm. While you might have ideas of what melodies and rhythm are, there are aspects of both that you might not have thought about. But at the same time, they can work wonders for your music production. What's the difference, and how are they related?
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This article will teach you what a melody is, what a rhythm is, how they overlap and how you can use new insights to create better music in your studio.
Let’s dive in with the first topic of the article, what a melody is.
What Is Melody?
Melody is a linear succession of musical notes that you, the listener, perceive as a single entity. In other words, a melody is when notes of a sound play after each and sound like the same thing.
Two components make up a melody, pitch and rhythm. The pitch means the notes that play, and the rhythm means how these notes play in your chosen tempo and beat.
Melodies come in many shapes and forms, and there are many ways to make a melody. Perhaps the most popular form of melody is in the form of vocals, where the singer sings words in musical pitches that fit the chords and rhythm of the other instruments.
But you can also create melodies from virtually any instrument – even drums or percussion with tonal qualities.
In electronic dance music, melodies are often called lead sounds and are created from synthesizers or sampled instruments. If a sound has an audible pitch and tone, you can make a melody out of it.
Melodies often have a solid foundation but introduce some variations to keep things interested in different bar sections or different parts of your track.
In short, melodies are most often what you hum along to when you have a song stuck in your head.
What Is Rhythm?
The true definition of rhythm is a bit more complicated to explain. If we look at Oxford Languages definition, they state “the systematic arrangement of musical sounds, principally according to duration and periodical stress.”
Note that it says musical sounds, not only drums, which we normally think about when we hear the word ‘rhythm.’ Rhythm is critical in music production and encompasses all sounds and instruments you use.
Let’s say you have a next-level drumbeat or rhythm, and add guitar chords on top of it. You can enhance the overall groove by arranging your guitar chords in rhythmic relationship to your drum groove.
The same goes for your melodies. The timing of your notes matters and affects the rhythm of your track. You can also change the rhythm with velocity by introducing high and low energy moments that impact perceived rhythm.
One of the most important elements of music is rhythm. Rhythm gives your listeners energy, makes them want to dance, and nod or head in beat – sometimes simultaneously. But sadly, it is sometimes overlooked by music producers as we are too busy crafting the perfect melody or getting the right snare sound.
However, you can dedicate more time crafting interesting rhythms that take your music to a whole new level with the right mindset.
How Melody And Rhythm Overlap
You’re probably beginning to realize that melody and rhythm have a lot more in common than you previously thought. Melody is pitch and rhythm, while rhythm is a critical aspect of your music as a whole – which you should think about for all your sounds.
Rhythm is not only for your drums and percussion. All elements of your music add new dimensions of rhythm to your music. That means, by thinking in terms of rhythm for your melodies, you make better and more complex rhythms by playing off your other sounds.
For example, if your drums play in a simple 4/4 beat, your melody can introduce a new rhythm within your simple beat. Think of all your sounds as potential drums, and you have a great starting point for creating out-of-this-world rhythms.
Summary
You have now learned what a melody and a rhythm are. You also now know what makes them different and related to each other – and know how to use rhythm to make your music much more interesting.
By considering the rhythm when crafting sounds, even melodic ones, your music can become a lot more danceable, energetic, and more pleasurable to listen to.
If you rarely pay close attention to the rhythm of your music, start today – you will not be disappointed by the result.
Thanks for reading, and see you in the next article.
 Pelle Sundin is a Swedish music producer and writer, active with his chillout project PLMTRZ. He also produces psytrance. When he's not producing, he surfs, skates, and chugs coffee. |
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