melody
A melody is a sequence of musical notes that are pleasant to listen to and form a main tune. It is the part of a song that people usually hum or sing along with.
Examples
3 of 5I can't get that catchy melody out of my head.
I cannot stop thinking about that easy-to-remember tune.
The composer skillfully interweaves the main melody throughout the symphony.
The writer of the music carefully puts the main tune into the whole long musical piece.
Hey, check out this sweet melody I just wrote on my guitar.
Listen to this nice tune I created using my guitar.
Antonyms
Word Family
Memory Tip
Think of a 'mellow' (soft and pleasant) 'melody'. Both words sound similar and describe something pleasant to the ears.
Quick Quiz
She played a beautiful ____ on her flute.
Correct!
The correct answer is: melody
Examples
I can't get that catchy melody out of my head.
everydayI cannot stop thinking about that easy-to-remember tune.
The composer skillfully interweaves the main melody throughout the symphony.
formalThe writer of the music carefully puts the main tune into the whole long musical piece.
Hey, check out this sweet melody I just wrote on my guitar.
informalListen to this nice tune I created using my guitar.
Melody serves as a primary structural element in Western classical music.
academicThe tune is a basic and important part of how classical music is built.
The background melody in our new advertisement should be upbeat and welcoming.
businessThe music playing behind our new commercial needs to be happy and friendly.
Antonyms
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
carry a melody
to be able to sing a tune accurately
sweet melody
a very pleasant sound
haunting melody
a tune that stays in your mind for a long time
Often Confused With
Melody is a single sequence of notes (the tune), whereas harmony is several notes played at the same time to support the melody.
Melody refers to the pitch and arrangement of notes, while rhythm refers to the timing and beat of the music.
Usage Notes
The word melody is most commonly used to describe the 'tune' or the part of the music that has a specific pitch. It is a countable noun, so you can have many 'melodies'.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes use 'melody' when they actually mean 'song' or 'lyrics'. Remember that melody only refers to the musical notes, not the words.
Memory Tip
Think of a 'mellow' (soft and pleasant) 'melody'. Both words sound similar and describe something pleasant to the ears.
Word Origin
Derived from the Greek 'melōidia', which means 'singing' or 'chanting'.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
In many cultures, the melody is considered the most important part of a folk song as it carries the emotion of the story.
Quick Quiz
She played a beautiful ____ on her flute.
Correct!
The correct answer is: melody
Related Grammar Rules
Related Vocabulary
A chord is a group of three or more musical notes played tog...
pitchA pitch is an area of ground marked out for playing a sports...
rhythmA rhythm is a regular, repeating pattern of sounds or moveme...
harmonyHarmony is when different parts or things fit together in a...
scaleA musical scale is a set of musical notes ordered by pitch,...
lyricsThe words that make up a song. They are usually written in v...
More music words
note
A1In music, a note is a single sound with a specific pitch and length. It also refers to the written symbol on a page that tells a musician which sound to play.
scale
A1A musical scale is a set of musical notes ordered by pitch, going up or down in a specific pattern. It acts like a ladder of sounds that musicians use to create melodies and harmonies.
sharp
A1In music, a sharp is a symbol (#) that tells a player to play a note one half-step higher. It also refers to the specific note that has been raised.
flat
A1In music, a flat is a symbol (♭) that tells a musician to play a note a half-step lower than usual. It also describes a sound or voice that is slightly lower than the correct musical pitch.
beat
A1The regular pulse or rhythm in a piece of music that you can clap your hands or tap your feet to. It is the basic unit of time in a song that helps musicians stay together.
bar
A1In music, a bar is a short section of music that contains a specific number of beats. It is shown on paper by vertical lines that divide the musical staff into equal parts.
time signature
A1A time signature is a set of two numbers at the beginning of a piece of music. It tells the musician how many beats are in each measure and which note value represents one beat.
instrument
A1An object that is played to make musical sounds, such as a piano, guitar, or drum. It can also be a tool used by scientists or doctors to do very exact work.
violin
A1A musical instrument with four strings that is held under the chin and played with a bow. It is known for its high-pitched, expressive sound and is used in many types of music, especially classical and folk.
viola
A1A viola is a musical instrument with four strings that is held under the chin and played with a bow. It looks like a violin but is slightly larger and has a deeper, lower sound.
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