Introduction: How to Write a Simple Chord and Ostinato Based Melody and Accompaniment

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About: • teenager ~ year 11 ~ GCSE • born on Bastille day • 2 labradoodles • loves all things dog, tech and music • flautist and pianist though I like to dabble with others :) • been fea…

bonjour instructables! in this 'ible I will show you how to write a simple melody and accompaniment! you need some musical knowledge! (if anyone wants a how to on music reading and theory just leave a comment and I'll tell you or make another 'ible)
enjoy!

disclaimer: I am using the 12 bar blues chord sequence, and FYI I didn't "invent" it, the melody and final result however is my own!

Step 1: Find a Chord Sequence!

I'll be using the 12 bar blues chord sequence in g major, but you can use your own! the g minor chord sequence above I used for my gcse composition, and I prefer it to the blues, but the blues is VERY easy to compose for!!

12 bar blues in g major:

G | G | G | G
C | C | G | G
D | C | G | G

Step 2: Make a Simple Tune That Covers TWO Bars

this tune will be repeated throughout, mine is

G B D B G G B D B

it splits into two bars as:

GBDB | GGBDG

Step 3: Rhythm!

notate your rhythm, this will help you split it into two bars, and it will tell you your time signature, mines 2/4
you can now replicate this for your other chords
e.g.
c major:
C E G E C C E G E

Step 4: Notating

first wrote your clef (treble in this case for the melody) and your time and key signatures.

as mines in g major it has one sharp - f sharp

Step 5: More Patterns

chose two or more bars to be a "bridge" - i.e. they have a different - or no - pattern. for mine it's bars 9 and 10!

Step 6: More Notating

now write out all the melody you have (minus the bridge which we are yet to write)

Step 7: Bridges!!!

improvise a bridge,
mine is just simple chords

Step 8: Notating Galore!!

now write in your bridge, and tweak anything you don't like!

Step 9: Left Hand Time!! (bass Clef)

now we need to make an accompaniment; the simplest way is to take the bar's chord and choose 1-3 notes from it:
e.g. for g major you could use the notes G B D
for c major C E G

Step 10: Write It!!

write in your accompaniment with whatever rhythm you like (sometimes simple is the best) and you're done! (you can add dynamics etc now!)

you've got a little bit of blues under your belt!!

congrats!

please leave a comment if you need any clarification or you want to give some feedback!! it would be appreciated!! thanks for reading!!