Lesson 80 of 84 · Melody
⭐ 30 XP🎶 Melody MeadowBlues Melodies and Blue Notes (Part 3)
Retrograde means playing a melody backwards.
🎯 Your mission
Catch the note. Then catch the next.
⚡ The twist
Every great melody is just a few notes used really well.
Listen for this
🎧 Notice when the notes go UP and when they go DOWN.
Artist Spotlight
🌟 Mozart could write down a song after hearing it ONCE — at age 14.
Mind = Blown
🤯 You only need 12 notes to make EVERY song that exists. Twelve.
Learn about blues melodies and blue notes (part 3): compare melodic styles across genres
What You'll Learn
Retrograde means playing a melody backwards. Combined with inversion, it gives composers four versions of one idea.
Compare melodic styles across genres
Write a melody with a clear beginning and ending
Notes on the Staff
Tap a note to hear it
Check Your Understanding
Question 1 of 3
What is melodic contour?
Where you hear this in real life
The melody you can't get out of your head right now is the result of years of someone else's practice.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Make up a 4-note tune. Hum it three times. See if you remember it tomorrow.
For the dinner table
“Hum the first notes of a song you both love. Can your kid finish it?”
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