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To Leap or Not To Leap (that is the question)

I'm often asked by songwriters if there are any common devices that can be used to help when constructing motifs. Truth be known, there aren't many. Coming up with an interesting and exciting melodic motif is a highly creative and personal part of the songwriting process. However, there are a few tools that a songwriterr has at his/her disposal. In this column we'll take a look at two such devices - conjunct and disjunct motion.

  Conjunct motion is smooth scale-wise motion. The melody moves to different destination notes by primarily using the notes of the scale (yes, you really do have to know your scales!). Some examples of well-known songs that use primarily conjunct motion include, "Lean On Me" (songwriter - Withers), "Ghost In This House" (songwriter - Prestwood) and "Too Busy Being In Love" (songwriter - Burr/Shaw).

  Disjunct motion is just the opposite. Rather than being smooth, the melody leaps around using primarily chord-wise movement. Some classic songs that use primarily disjunct motion include songs like, "Tonight Tonight" (songwriter - Stephen Sondheim), "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" (songwriter - Howard/Arlen), and "Somewhere Out There" (songwriter - Mann/Weill).

Many songs incorporate both conjunct and disjunct motion. In fact another way to create a contrast between two sections of music is to use mostly conjunct motion in one section and disjunct motion in another. Let's take a look at part of the chorus from the Anne Murray classic, "Could I Have This Dance" co-written by former NSAI president and hall of fame songwriter Waylon Holyfield along with the great Bob House. The chorus to this hit song uses mostly conjunct motion.

In the first part of the melodic phrase, the melody has a definite destination. It is moving from the word "I" to the word "dance". That's accomplished through mostly scale-wise motion. In this case, we're in the key of A, so the melody travels using the A major scale. In the second part of the melodic phrase, the melody again has a definite destination - the word "life". This time, the melody simply walks down the A major scale from the note D to the destination A.

The verse of this song contrasts the conjunct (smooth) motion of the chorus with primarily disjunct (leaping) movement. The melody leaps around using mostly chord-wise motion to get from one place to another. This contrast alone is enough to make the chorus and verse stand apart from each other.

That's all there is to it.  Hope to see you on the charts.

Danny