Your First Melody

Let's create a complete melody with rhythm, dynamics, and structure.

Starting Simple

scale Major = { R, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 }

; Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
let melody = | <1> <1> <5> <5> <6> <6> <5> - <4> <4> <3> <3> <2> <2> <1> - |

melody

Each slot in the block has equal duration. With 16 slots in a default 1-beat block, each note is 1/16 of a beat.

Understanding Relative Rhythm

In Relanote, rhythm is determined by how many slots are in a block, not by explicit duration values:

scale Major = { R, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 }

; 4 slots = each note is 1/4 of the block duration
let fast = | <1> <2> <3> <4> |

; 2 slots = each note is 1/2 of the block duration
let slower = | <1> <5> |

; 1 slot = the note fills the whole block
let whole = | <1> |

Controlling Block Duration

Use :n after a block to set its total duration in beats:

scale Major = { R, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 }

; 4 notes spread over 4 beats = quarter notes
let quarters = | <1> <2> <3> <4> |:4

; 4 notes in 2 beats = eighth notes
let eighths = | <1> <2> <3> <4> |:2

; 4 notes in 1 beat = sixteenth notes (default)
let sixteenths = | <1> <2> <3> <4> |

quarters

Rests Create Rhythm

Use - for rests to add space:

scale Major = { R, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 }

; Notes with rests
let with_rests = | <1> - <3> - <5> - - - |

with_rests

Combining Different Rhythms

Concatenate blocks with ++ to create varied rhythms:

scale Major = { R, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 }

; Fast passage
let fast = | <1> <2> <3> <4> <5> <4> <3> <2> |

; Slow resolution
let slow = | <1> <5> |

; Held final note (2 beats)
let ending = | <1> |:2

; Each block keeps its own rhythm!
let phrase = fast ++ slow ++ ending

phrase

Transformations

Make variations using transformations:

scale Major = { R, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 }

let theme = | <1> <3> <5> <3> |

; Variations
let higher = theme |> transpose P8      ; One octave up
let backwards = theme |> reverse          ; Play in reverse
let twice = theme |> repeat 2            ; Play twice

; Combine variations
let combined = theme ++ higher ++ backwards

combined

Complete Example: Twinkle Twinkle

Here's the full melody with proper phrasing:

scale Major = { R, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 }

; First phrase: "Twinkle twinkle little star"
let phrase1 = | <1> <1> <5> <5> <6> <6> <5> - |

; Second phrase: "How I wonder what you are"
let phrase2 = | <4> <4> <3> <3> <2> <2> <1> - |

; Combine into full melody
let twinkle = phrase1 ++ phrase2

twinkle

Adding Expression

Use articulations to add character:

scale Major = { R, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 }

; With accents and staccato
let expressive = | <1>^ <1> <5>^ <5> <6>^ <6> <5>~ - |

expressive

Exercise

Try creating your own melody:

1. Choose a scale (Major, Minor, Pentatonic)
2. Write a short phrase using scale degrees
3. Experiment with the number of slots for different rhythms
4. Add rests for breathing room
5. Use articulations for expression

scale Major = { R, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 }

; Your turn! Create a melody
let myMelody = | <1> <3> <5> - <5> <3> <1> - |

myMelody

Next Steps

Now that you can create melodies, let's learn about Building Chords.