Write Your First 8-Bar Melody

Never composed before? No problem. Six short lessons take you from counting beats to a proper cadence — and every example opens in the free web editor so you compose as you read. You'll finish with your own 8-bar melody, downloadable as PDF and MIDI.

Learn Composing › Write Your First 8-Bar Melody

  1. 1 Beats & Measures — Understanding 4/4 and Setting Up Your 8 Bars
    Learn what 4/4 time really means, then set up the 8-bar framework for "Morning Walk," the tune you'll complete over this series.     ⏱ ~7 min
  2. 2 The Motif — Your First 2-Bar Idea
    Learn what a motif is — the seed of every melody — and enter the opening 2-bar motif of "Morning Walk" in the editor yourself.     ⏱ ~8 min
  3. 3 Repeat & Vary — Building 4 Bars with A A′
    Complete the first 4 bars of "Morning Walk" using the A A′ technique: repeat your motif, but change just the ending.     ⏱ ~8 min
  4. 4 Question & Answer — Antecedent and Consequent Phrases
    Hear how a melody splits into a question (antecedent) and an answer (consequent), then begin the answer with bars 5–6.     ⏱ ~8 min
  5. 5 The Cadence — Ending Your Melody in Bars 7–8
    Learn about cadences — music's punctuation marks — and finish your 8-bar melody by adding bars 7–8.     ⏱ ~8 min
  6. 6 Finishing Touches — Dynamics, Tempo, and Downloading Your Song
    Polish your score with dynamics (mf) and a tempo marking, then download it as PNG, PDF, or MIDI to complete your very first song.     ⏱ ~7 min

Start with Lesson 1 →