Music is, of course, made up of a bunch of different elements, each with its own role. Each is important and is usually noticed when missing. However, if two elements of music might be considered most important, they would be melody and harmony. Basically, every song ever recorded or passed through the generations has a melody. What’s more, these songs also all feature some sort of harmony. There are an infinite number of ways to create new melodies and harmonies – which is good, because they are often a song’s most defining characteristics.

These two elements come together to create unique songs with their own meaning. Understanding what each is, how they interact, and how to use them is crucial for creating new, exciting, and fresh music.

Let’s dive in.

Melody and Harmony: Defined

Melody

In a nutshell, a melody is a set of notes that work together to create something more than the sum of its parts. Usually, that sum is the part of the song you sing along to – even if it doesn’t have lyrics! Consider your favourite song; what’s its first characteristic you think of? If the lead vocal part, or lead instrument is what sprung to mind, you’re almost certainly thinking of the melody!

And there’s a reason for that! The melody is specifically designed to stand out to the listener, providing a specific musical point of reference for the audience to focus on. The other elements, like rhythm and volume, for example, work together to support the melody and make it sound as great as possible. But that doesn’t mean a melody has to be complicated. Some are only three or four repeating notes. Others are a veritable cascade of notes that pour from a piano, guitar, or vocalist. The complexity of any given melody isn’t as important as its ability to be unique and stand out for an audience to recognize.

This is because the melody usually contains and drives the emotional aspect of any given song. Songwriters looking to elicit an emotional reaction from their listeners focus their attention on the melody. Because of this, the melody becomes the foundation and everything else (lyric, rhythm, harmony, etc.) is there to support and build it up.

Harmony

One way to think about harmony (and how it relates to the melody) is as the “B melody.” In essence, a harmony is a sort of “side-melody” that emphasizes and modifies the main melody. By doing this, it elevates the melody beyond what it can do alone. Generally, harmonies are played at different intervals away from the main melody. This creates tension, dissonance, and consonance. Through this, harmony works alongside the melody to make the song feel more full and meaningful.

Careful consideration of chords is usually an important element of creating an effective harmony. Today, the vast majority of music is based around chords, which are made up of multiple harmonizing notes. For example, a C Major chord is made up of the notes C, E, and G, which harmonize perfectly. Harmonies work by playing notes above or below the original root note, at the same time. This creates a feeling of musical texture and depth – and is pretty pleasing to the ear!

The Difference Between Melody and Harmony

While sounds like melody and harmony are basically the same thing, they actually have unique roles to play. The melody is specifically designed to stand out and drive the emotion of a song. It’s made to be the focus and can often stand all on its own. It doesn’t need the rest of the song’s elements, but they all contribute to making it even better.

Harmony, on the other hand, cannot stand alone. And it’s not supposed to. In fact, many harmonies sound quite odd without the melody they’re supposed to support. The reason for that should be obvious now: harmonies are created only to accentuate and deepen the melody. In truth, the harmony is the primary support of most songs. This is because the harmony creates the musical world around the melody, making it more interesting and exciting.

Working Together

So, how do melody and harmony work together? Just like a harmony is made up of notes surrounding and intertwining a root note, the harmony surrounds and intertwines with the melody. Whether the harmony comes from above or below the melody, it works to make the melody feel richer – fuller.

Consider lead and backup vocalists. The lead singer performs the melody. But the backup singers provide harmony to underscore the beauty of the melody. What’s more, they tend to be less consistent than the lead singer, creating harmonies that come and go to best emphasize the lead singer’s melody. The sometimes startling appearance and disappearance of the harmony can make a song even more powerful. When done well, the sudden disappearance of a harmony it can make the melody feel even more important.

Closing Thoughts

As you can see, melody and harmony, while unique, work together to create something much more than they can individually. Not unlike finding the right music teacher! With a skilled instructor, anyone can learn to make music!

Join one of The Music Studio’s wide variety of private in-person and online instruction in Classical, Popular, Jazz, and World Music – for children and adults. The friendly and knowledgeable teachers at The Music Studio will help you progress at a pace that is comfortable for you. Begin at any time of year!