19.2 · Your First Song

Write a melody

A melody over a loop is one decision per beat: land on a note the chord already owns, or walk between two of them. Chord tones on the strong beats make it sound right; passing notes between them make it sound like a tune.

Two versions of the same idea

Both play over I, V, vi, IV. The first uses only chord tones: correct, but blocky. The second walks steps between the same targets. Hear what the passing notes buy.

Write yours

Eight beats, one note each, over the loop below. Pick a slot, tap a degree. Dots mark the degrees the current chord owns: safe landings. The chord changes on beats 1, 3, 5, and 7.

A trick that always works: land a chord tone on beats 1, 3, 5, 7, then connect neighbors by step. Repeat a shape twice before you change it, and it starts to sound like a hook.

Quiz

1 / 3

Where do chord tones matter most?

Score 100% on every quiz and game to complete this lesson.Verse energy, chorus energy →