melody Archives – Soundfly

How Kiefer Finds New Melodies Using Speech Patterns (Video)

Courtesy of his brand new course on Soundfly, Kiefer shares a lesson covering his unique method of deriving melodies and rhythms from speech.

The Pitch Ceiling: You Make It to Break It

We revisit a classic performance by a 12-year old singer to uncover the power of establishing and then breaking through a musical boundary.

“Drivers License:” How Olivia Rodrigo Uses Much More Than Lyrics to Tell Her Story

Today we break down Olivia Rodrigo’s smash hit “Drivers License” to show how she uses much more than lyrics to tell her heartbreak story.

How to Write Call and Response Melodies With Yourself

Call and Response is a great melodic device when it comes to writing for duets, but what if you’re solo? Here are some songwriting tips.

How The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Takes Beethoven’s Ideas to #1

In this analysis, pop music theorist Ben Morss shows how The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is built from four-note scale segments.

Notes on the Birth of a Melody

From Soundfly Student Eva Grill, a beautiful reflection on where inspiration for melodic ideas comes from, and where it takes her when she follows it.

10 Things Songwriters Do That Ruin Their Songs

A song is a fragile thing — indeed, there are many ways a song idea can die before it’s even developed. Here are ten, and how to avoid them.

Beat Makers, Try Thinking About Chords and Melody First

You might be an expert at programming drum beats, but if you think back on your favorite songs, they all probably have much stronger melodies and chords.

7 Melody Writing and Motivic Development Techniques for Songwriters

Want to write catchier melodies? Use any of these seven approaches to motif development and your melody will surely get stuck in your listener’s head.