Melody from Chord Tones

What Are Chord Tones?

Chord tones are simply the notes that make up a chord. For any triad, these are:

When you write a melody using only chord tones, every note you play will be inside the current chord. This means your melody will always harmonize perfectly - no clashing, no "wrong notes."

This is exactly how professional topline writers start: they aim for chord tones on important beats, then fill in other notes later.

Chord Tones for Your Progression

You'll use the I–V–vi–IV progression from Lesson 5. Here are the available chord tones for each bar:

Your melody can only use these notes while each chord is playing. This restriction might seem limiting, but it actually makes melody writing much easier - you can't pick "wrong" notes.

Why Chord Tones Always Sound Good

Think of chord tones as anchor points:

• They're already part of the harmony, so they reinforce the chord instead of fighting it
• They sound stable and resolved - like they "belong"
• They give your melody a strong harmonic foundation
• They're the notes listeners expect to hear at important moments

Professional melodies often hit chord tones on:

• Beat 1 (the downbeat) - the most important beat
• Long notes - sustained notes need to be stable
• Phrase endings - landing on chord tones creates resolution

Later you'll learn to use "passing tones" (non-chord tones) to connect these anchor points, but starting with chord tones ensures your melody has a solid foundation.

Building Your Melody

You'll create a simple melody using 8th notes (2 notes per beat) restricted to chord tones:

You can:

• Use any rhythm you want (quarter notes, 8th notes, mix of both)
• Repeat notes for emphasis
• Jump between different chord tones
• Use different octaves of the same note

The goal is to create a simple, singable melody that moves through the chord tones naturally. Don't overthink it - just experiment with different patterns.

Creating Melodic Shape and Motion

Even with just chord tones, you can create interesting melodies by using:

• Direction: Move up, move down, or stay on the same note
• Contour: Create peaks (high notes) and valleys (low notes)
• Repetition: Repeat a short pattern, then change it slightly
• Range: Jump to different octaves for contrast

Good melodies have a shape - they don't just wander randomly. Try creating a melody that:

• Starts in the middle range
• Reaches a high point somewhere in the middle (bar 2 or 3)
• Settles back down at the end (bar 4)

This arc creates natural tension and release, making your melody feel complete even without any fancy techniques.

What You Should Hear

When you play your chord-tone melody over the progression, you should experience:

• Perfect harmony: No notes that sound "wrong" or clash
• Melodic flow: The melody should feel connected, not random
• Stability: Every note feels like it belongs right where it is
• Singability: You should be able to hum or sing it easily

If any note sounds off, check that it's actually a chord tone for the current chord. The beauty of this approach is that if you follow the rules, you literally cannot make a mistake.

Your Foundation for Melody Writing

Learning chord-tone melody gives you:

• A foolproof method for writing melodies that always fit
• Understanding of the melody-harmony relationship
• The ability to write toplines over any chord progression
• A solid foundation for more advanced techniques (coming in the next lesson)

This is how every professional songwriter starts. You build the harmonic skeleton (chord tones), then add flesh and detail (passing tones, ornaments) later. Master this first step, and melody writing becomes systematic rather than mysterious.