Melody

In music, the main theme is called the melody. It consists of one or more musical phrases, and is usually repeated throughout the song in various forms. Different musical styles use melody in different ways. For example:

• Rock music and other forms of popular music tend to pick one melody and stick with it; most variety occurs in the lyrics.

• In western classical music, composers introduce an initial melody and then create variations. Classical music often has several melodic layers, such as those in a fugue.

• Jazz musicians use the melody line as a starting point for improvisation.

See also: harmony, rhythm, music basic topics