Quick questions on Melody writing and phrasing explained: O-Level Music

A melody should breathe in balanced phrases, most simply as a four-bar antecedent (a musical question, ending open and unresolved) answered by a four-bar consequent (an answer, ending with closure). The antecedent typically rests on the dominant (or another open note), and the consequent comes home to the tonic, giving the melody a satisfying question-and-answer logic.

Build the melody from a short, distinctive motif, a few notes or a rhythm introduced at the start, then reuse and vary it: repeat it, sequence it higher or lower, or invert it. Threading the motif through the tune gives it identity and unity, so it sounds purposeful rather than rambling.

End on a strong, conclusive note, normally the tonic on a strong beat, approached by step or from the leading note so the close feels like a perfect cadence. A melody that simply stops on a weak or unrelated note feels unfinished.

Build the melody from a recurring, varied idea; a tune with no repeated material sounds aimless.

Keep the line mostly conjunct with a few expressive leaps, and balance a leap with stepwise motion; constant leaps are hard to sing.

Finish on the tonic on a strong beat (a perfect-cadence feel); ending on a weak or unrelated note sounds incomplete.

Explain the difference between an antecedent and a consequent phrase. [2 marks]

Describe two ways to develop a motif within a melody. [2 marks]

Explain how to make a melody's ending sound convincing. [2 marks]