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"It is the melody which is the charm of music, and it is that which is most difficult to produce. The invention of a fine melody is a work of genius." —JOSEPH HAYDN

Key Points

  • A melody is the line, or tune, in music, a concept that is shared by most cultures.
  • Each melody is unique in its contour (how it moves up and down) and in its range, or span of pitches.
  • An interval is the distance between any two pitches in a melody. A melody that moves in small, connected intervals is considered conjunct, while one that moves by leaps is called disjunct.
  • The units that make up a melody are phrases.
  • Phrases end in resting places called cadences.
  • A melody may be accompanied by a secondary melody, or a countermelody.

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