Melody Keywords

Taking a melodic idea and making the intervals bigger

• diminution

• augmentation

• inversion

• mordent

Taking a melodic idea and making the intervals smaller

• diminution

• augmentation

• inversion

• mordent

Taking a melodic idea and turning each interval upside-down (eg. if the idea started by going up a step, you would instead go down a step etc.)

• diminution

• augmentation

• inversion

• mordent

When a phrase of melody begins on a beat that isn’t the first beat of a bar

• augmentation

• blue notes

• anacrusis

• diminution

In jazz and blues, chromatic notes that are dissonant and make the music sound bluesy

• augmentation

• blue notes

• anacrusis

• diminution

A chord with notes played one after the other

• arpeggio

• diminution

• inversion

• sequence

Repeating a phrase but each time higher or lower

• arpeggio

• diminution

• inversion

• sequence

A short melodic/harmonic idea (often repeated) in pop/jazz

• augmentation

• mordent

• riff

• arpeggio

Making a note on a keyboard, synthesizer or guitar gradually (and usually slightly) higher or lower

• trill

• riff

• sequence

• pitch bend

Moving in semitones

• anacrusis

• chromatic movement

• augmentation

• sequence