melodies
Songs without words
Melodies is the plural of melody—a sequence of musical notes that forms a recognizable tune.
A melody is the part of music you hum or whistle, the horizontal line that moves through time: The melodies of her childhood still echoed in her mind.
Songs may have memorable melodies or forgettable ones.
Musical sequence of notes
- motifRecurring thematic element
- themeCentral recurring concept
- phraseWords forming partial meaning
- passageSegment of text
refrain · chorus · verse · hook · riff · leitmotif · melodic line · sequence
Narrative poem or song
- lullabySoothing song for babies
- anthemOfficial song of praise
- ariaOperatic solo piece
- serenadeOutdoor romantic performance
nocturne · hymn · folk song · chanson · raga · gamelan · fado · tango
Notes sounded simultaneously
- counterpointSimultaneous independent melodies
- polyphonySimultaneous independent melodic lines
- harmonizeBring into agreement
- accompanimentSupplementary support element
consonance · dissonance · interval · tonality · modulation · arpeggio · homophony · texture
tune
Musical sequence of notes
passage · refrain · chorus · verse · hook · riff · leitmotif · melodic line · sequence · cadence
ballad
Narrative poem or song
serenade · nocturne · hymn · folk song · chanson · raga · gamelan · fado · tango · blues
chord
Notes sounded simultaneously
- counterpointSimultaneous independent melodies
- polyphonySimultaneous independent melodic lines
- harmonizeBring into agreement
accompaniment · consonance · dissonance · interval · tonality · modulation · arpeggio · homophony · texture · voicing
tempo
Rate of musical performance
- meterDevice that measures usage
- pulseArterial blood throb
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
phrasing · swing · groove · beat · flow · cadence · measure · timing · rubato · pace
haunting
Disturbingly unforgettable
lilting · wistful · memorable · evocative · stirring · tender · mournful · uplifting · ethereal · dreamy
- songssong, songs, tune, folk ballads, ballads
- Gugakcourt music, ritual music, ceremonial music, traditional music, traditional songs
- musicmusic, song, songs, singing, singer
- vocal musicsong, vocals, soprano, tenor, alto
- songwriting termssongwriting, lyrics, hooks, chorus, verse
- radio hitsradio hits, radio singles, radio airplay, airplay, Top 40
melodiesrhythms
Patterns of repeated movement
harmonies · beats · percussion · chords · bass lines
melodiesnoise
Unwanted auditory disturbance
cacophony · dissonance · discord · static · din
melodiesmonotone
Single unvarying pitch
tunelessness · discordance · atonality · dissonance · cacophony
- folk melodiesAncestral community songs
- haunting melodiesSongs that linger emotionally
- Merrie Melodies
- simple melodiesUncomplicated musical lines
- traditional melodiesInherited cultural songs
- popular melodiesWidely liked tunes
melodious, unmelodious, melodiously, melodiousness, melodize