Melodic Mnemonic

Question 1

What is the mnemonic for melodic vocabulary?

Answer 1

Generally Count To Regular Rows In A Climbing Phrase

Question 2

What does the melodic mnemonic stand for?

Answer 2

Generally - General character 
Count - Contour 
To - tonality 
Regular - Register 
Rows - Range 
In - Intervals 
A - Accompaniment 
Climbing - Climax 
Phrase -Phrase

Question 3

General Character

Answer 3

Virtuosic, complex, simple Character/Mood – Joyous, brooding, relaxed, aggressive

Question 4

Contour

Answer 4

The shape of the melody - ascending, descending, arch like, wave-like, jagged, linear

Question 5

Tonality

Answer 5

Major, minor, modal, pentatonic, atonal, chromatic, modulation

Question 6

Register

Answer 6

Upper, middle, lower. – Depends on instrument/voice. Comfortable/uncomfortable

Question 7

Range

Answer 7

Wide, narrow, unlimited, confined, small

Question 8

Intervals

Answer 8

Large, small, stepwise, scalic, arpeggiated, triadic, consonant – within the key, chromatic – outside the key Chromaticism (heavy/light).

Question 9

Accompaniment

Answer 9

Describe the melody of different parts – eg walking bass, smooth voice leading in accompanying chordal parts. Compare to each other – which has a wider range? Which uses more chromaticism etc?

Question 10

Climax

Answer 10

How is it reached? – stepwise, by an 8ve, arpeggiated intervals, from above or below How is it resolved? – stepwise, arpeggiated, etc.Character of the climax? - Dramatic, anticlimactic, organic/natural/ expected, unexpected. Are there many climaxes or just one main one?

Question 11

Phrases

Answer 11

Long phrases, short phrases, even lengths, uneven lengths, extended phrases, repeated phrases