Noodle Challenge Day 9
Melodic Decor
“Don’t wait for inspiration. It comes while working.”
Noodle Info
Melodies can be tough to create.
Let me rephrase—memorable melodies can be tough to create.
And yet, do they need to be dazzling to be beautiful?
Sometimes, less is more.
Yet there are times to amplify or, what I like to say, “dude up” a melody after several statements of the original.
This can add a dramatic peak to your improvisations.
As Matisse advises, work with these three ways to decorate the melody below.
You’ll use these strategies over and over again in future noodling!
A shout out to Bradley Sowash for inspiring this noodle.
Psst…get out your recording app!
Your Challenge
After several repetitions of the original melody, decorate it in three ways:
Repeated Notes: turn one note into two of the same note.
Neighbor Notes: step up or down from the original note.
Fill notes: fill in the gap between pitches through stepwise motion.
After playing through the example below, explore ways to decorate this melody and insert your ideas into your previous improvisations of this tune.
EXTRA: Choose a different melody, apply these strategies, and create a fresh improvisation.
Always ask yourself: What if I?
Did you stumble upon something amazing today?
Make sure to share it on Facebook or Instagram and tag me @leilaviss.
Use hashtag #30daynoodlechallenge.
These three ways to decorate a melody are just the start.
Check out “50 Ways to Make a Melody” for 47 more ideas.
