A melody climbs steadily from low C to high A over 7 measures, then drops immediately to a cadential E on the final beat. What principle of melodic contour does this design violate?
AIt violates the rule that melodies must stay within an octave range
BIt violates the arch contour principle — the single peak arrives too late, leaving no room for a natural descent
CIt violates the stepwise motion rule by implying a leap at the final cadence
DIt violates harmonic grounding by placing a non-chord tone at the peak
Effective melodies typically place the single peak at or slightly past the midpoint of the phrase, then descend toward the cadential landing. A melody that keeps climbing until the penultimate measure produces mounting tension with no release — the arch is compressed into a single beat rather than spread across the phrase. The phrase will feel unresolved or lurching even if it lands on a chord tone, because the natural dynamic arc (rise → descent → cadence) was never allowed to unfold.
Question 2 Multiple Choice
After writing a melody with a rising leap of a major sixth, your teacher says you should 'resolve the leap.' What does this most likely mean?
ATranspose the melody down by a sixth to undo the large interval
BAdd a trill or ornament on the note after the leap
CFollow the leap with stepwise motion in the opposite direction — descending by step after a large upward leap
DAvoid large leaps entirely in future compositions
Post-leap recovery is one of the most reliable principles in tonal melody writing: after a large leap (especially a sixth or larger), the melody wants to move stepwise in the opposite direction. A leap up followed by a step or two downward feels balanced — the leap introduces energy and the stepwise return grounds it. A leap up followed by another leap up feels lurching and uncontrolled. 'Resolving the leap' means providing this stepwise return, not undoing the interval or adding an ornament.
Question 3 True / False
A melody that uses mainly chord tones (scale degrees 1, 3, and 5) will sound more harmonically stable and will typically work well with its accompaniment.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
A melody of only chord tones is harmonically safe but often sounds like an arpeggio — stiff, mechanical, and lacking the smooth, singable quality that makes melody memorable. Passing tones, neighbor tones, and other non-harmonic tones create the stepwise motion and voice-leading smoothness that define good melodic writing. The key principle is not 'avoid non-chord tones' but 'land on chord tones at structural moments (downbeats, cadences, sustained notes) while using non-chord tones to connect them.'
Question 4 True / False
A melody's highest note ideally appears near the beginning of the phrase so the rest of the phrase can descend toward the cadence.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Effective melodies place the peak at or slightly past the midpoint — not at the beginning. A melody that peaks early and only descends feels resigned or depleted from the outset, with nowhere to go dramatically. The arch shape requires a meaningful rise, which takes time to unfold. Placing the peak early eliminates the ascending arc that builds the phrase's energy. The typical arch arrives at its peak somewhere in the middle third of the phrase, allowing both a meaningful climb and a satisfying descent.
Question 5 Short Answer
Why must a melody land on chord tones at structurally important moments, and what happens when it doesn't?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: Structurally important moments — the first beat of the phrase, cadential arrival points, and any sustained notes — are where the harmony is most exposed and emphasized. Landing on a non-chord tone at these moments creates a dissonance precisely where the music is loudest and most prominent, producing a clash that sounds like an error rather than decoration. Non-chord tones work between structural downbeats because they move quickly and the ear hears them as connecting gestures between the real harmonic targets.
Think of the melody as having 'landing zones' defined by the harmony: chord tones are solid ground, non-chord tones are the air between. You can travel freely through the air, but must land on solid ground at the structural beats. When a structurally important moment coincides with a non-chord tone, the dissonance is held long enough and placed prominently enough that it sounds wrong rather than decorative. The art of melody writing is knowing which moments are landing zones and ensuring the melody touches down correctly on them.