Melody

In music,melody isseriesnotes playedsuccession, thatnot simultaneously as inchord. However, this succesion must be perceived as an single entity (possibly gestalt)be calledmelody.

The main themecalledmelody. It consistsone or more musical phrases,is usually repeated throughoutsong or piecevarious forms. Different musical styles use melodydifferent ways. For example:

• Rock musicother formspopular musicfolk music tendpick one or two melodies (versechorus)stickthem; much variety may occur inphrasinglyrics.

• In western classical music, composers often introduce an initial melody, or theme,then create variations. Classical music often has several melodic layers, called polyphony, such as those infugue,typecounterpoint. Often melodiesconstructed from motifs or short melodic fragments, such asopeningBeethoven's Ninth. Richard Wagner popularizedconcept ofleitmotif:motif or melody associated withcertain idea, person or place.

• Jazz musicians usemelody line, called"lead" or "head", asstarting pointimprovisation.

• Indian classical music relies heavily on melodyrhythm,not so much on harmony asabove forms.

• Balinese gamelan music often uses complicated variationsalterations ofsingle melody played simultaneously, called heterophony.