Many melodies are composed from simpler melodic moves, with a rhythmic pattern that repeats, with different intervals and pitch dynamics. When such melodic moves are within an interval of 5 or 7 semitones (pure 4th or 5th) then it is convenient to conceive them within standard tetra-chords or 5-chords (penta-chords) rather than whole scales (see post 58) . Then instead of scale-modulations we speak of tetra-chord or penta-chords progressions, chromatic-complementary tetra or penta chords etc. It is also important to notice that usually 5-chord with span of 7 semitones (pure 5th) also has at least one fitting 3-notes chord to correspond to it (see post 57)
Definition: Complementary melodic moves and complementary tetra-chords =their union contains a sequence of 3, 4 , 5 or more consecutive notes of the full chromatic 12-notes scale , that did not exist in each tetra-chord or melodic move separately.
Melodic moves that are complementary create a very peculiar feeling, as the heart wants to contain everything!
We give here two examples with the well known melodies of a) Resquesdos de L'Alhambra
b) Besame muschos.
We summarize the basic concerns in the melodic improvisation and composition of a voice or melody (similar to the syntax of phrase with subject verb and object etc).
1) Always use a finite set of melody motives , themes or moves. A theme may consists of the basic 4 melodic moves. (The theme entity for melodies is so important as the chord in harmony. A theme can be inside a chord or over a chord transition. Conversely any of the 3 types of chord transitions may define a theme for the melody, thus a finite set of themes for a chord progression)
2) Transform these melodic themes or moves which will be the invariant of their transformations. The simpler the themes the easier the transformations.
3) Close it by returning to the initial theme.
The ways to transform a theme are at least the next 5 and combinations of them
1) Translate it in different pitches (within a scale or not changing possibly the pitch distances )
2) Translate in time (repeat it)
3) Invert it in time or change its rhythm (if at the begging is slower and at the end faster it will be now the reverse etc)
4) Invert it or distort it in pitch (Create 1st 2nd 3rd or 4th voice versions, utilizing the chord progression as rules of transformation of the theme, or if it is ascending now it will be descending etc)
5) Change it as morphology (from a non-waving ascending it may become waving ascending or iso-kratic) . We prefer spikes and scaling as the main morphological types, while the waving and isokratic as intermediate bridges.
(The post has not been written yet completely)
