Elements of music: melody
Melody is music’s quintessential expressive ingredient. We all know it and practice it from childhood through singing. Melody is made of sounds at a definite pitch emitted one after the other and organized rhythmically over time.
Who doesn’t have magnificent melodies in mind such as Michelle, the Air on the G String or Isn’t She Lovely?
Even the bass, if we wish, allows to play melodies in its highest register. This can happen and it is nice that it happens, but it’s not the bass’ specific function. The bass line’s function is to accompany the main melodic line, supporting it from the rhythmic and harmonic point of view.
We already have an idea of rhythm, next let’s try to understand what harmony is.