Tuesday, January 16th, 2024.
Hey, it’s TJ Miller, “You want some game?” Let's #tipundathehat!
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Unda The Hat is now doing affiliate marketing for Amazon. “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” We feature musical equipment, OG music band Tees & merch, games, and books. This week's Amazon feature is Evan Nicole Bell.
Melody is King - Let’s Geaux -
When you ask most people what they like about a song they usually say the beat, the words, or some smarty pants might say the artist's voice. But I stopped by to tell you that Melody, that’s right, Melody is King! So let’s start here with the egg head definition, a melody is a linear sequence of musical notes that a listener perceives as a single entity. It combines pitch and rhythm and is often the MOST memorable part of a song. It doesn’t matter if it’s Hip Hop, Country, Classical, Metal, Gospel, vocal, instrumental whatever, the melody is what people remember.
A good melody can make a song stand out from the rest, it’s the backbone of the song, and it can be what makes people want to listen to it again and again. The melody tells the story of the song. As you can hear here, Quincy Jones gets quite passionate when he talks about melody and says that Melody is King. He goes on to say “Melody is king, and don't you ever forget it. Lyrics appear to be out front, but they're not; they're just an accompanying factor. If they're good, you're really in good shape. Lyrics are written to be rewritten. Jeff Tweedy of the band Wilco an alternative rock band says “Melody is king. Songs are ruled by melody. I believe that melody, more than lyrics, is what does all the heavy lifting emotionally. When I write lyrics, or when I adapt a poem to a song, my goal is to interfere as little as possible with whatever spell is being cast by the melody.” You can even get biblical when it comes to melody. According to Ephesians 5:19-21 in the King James Version of the Bible, people should sing and make melody in their heart to the Lord. I’ll share with you also what Chris Moses of Gospel Progressions University says about why Melody is King.
Now as an Indie artist, I know you sometimes struggle with things like melody, song structure, continuity, and all that. The first thing I would suggest is to listen to songs with strong melodies. They don’t necessarily have to be in your genre. Remember we talked about boosting your creativity? Grabbing a good melody can be a result of listening to other genres. There are many different ways to create a melody. Some melodies are simple, while others are more complex and intricate. But no matter how complex or simple a melody is, it must be catchy and memorable.
The melody is also important for creating a sense of harmony in the song. When the melody and the harmony work together, they can create a beautiful and pleasing sound and help the continuity of the story.
When you think of songs with the most memorable melodies you think of songs like Happy Birthday, Jingle Bells, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Amazing Grace. So what can you do? First use the KISS principle, you know Keep It Simply Simple, start with a simple idea, a poem, a phrase, a story title, or somebody's name like Gloria by Enchantment. Experiment with different rhythms and intervals. Make sure the melody is catchy and memorable. Work on the harmony to create a sense of balance and flow.
A few other ideas are to sing over a simple chord progression or a simple beat like when we were kids and used to make the beat on the desk. Play with different and interesting rhythmic stressings and accents. Don’t forget about the overall shape or arc of your melody. Remember that all stories have an arc and so does a good melody. Melody doesn't live in a vacuum, so couple your melody with a good harmony, a good rhythm, a beat, or some sort of cool accent.
So remember to listen, listen, listen to as much “stuff,” as possible, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Stop trying to write a hit and write something that’s just refreshing, different, and speaks to your audience.
This week's #IAOTW - Independent Artists Of The Week is - Evan Nicole Bell 
a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist from Baltimore Maryland. She has a lot of people talking - "One of the most exciting newcomers on the Baltimore scene." — WTMD 89.7 FM. "A highly talented multi-instrumentalist." — Blues & Rhythm Magazine. “[Evan] mines and embraces the rich history of soul, blues, and Americana while at the same time making it decidedly her own.” — SoulTracks.com. "Melodic vocal style...instrumental prowess." — Blues in Britain Magazine
Click on the name link, scroll down to the picture, and then click, and support.
For more information on this or to hire Unda The Hat as your brand or label consultant send a message via undathehat.com. If you are an Indie artist and want to be featured, hit me up. See you next week!!