Writing a Countermelody

A countermelody is a complimentary melody that is played at the same time as the main

melody of a song. It adds melodic and rhythmic interest to a piece.

See below some steps to writing an effective countermelody.

1. Write out the chord progression. This will give you the basic harmonic structure of

the song.

2. Write a new melody, that both works with the chord progression and the original

melody. I.e. aim to use notes that are in the chord but are different to the notes used

in the melody.

3. Adjust the countermelody’s rhythm to compliment the rhythm of the main

melody. This step is crucial to making a countermelody work well. Here’s the basic

rule: where the chorus melody is rhythmically active, allow the countermelody to be

less active. Where the chorus melody is rhythmically slower, allow the countermelody

to become more active (i.e. use shorter, quicker note durations).

Task

Create a countermelody for a given melody.

Steps:

1. Open the Sibelius file called "Countermelody Task," from the music folder in the

student resources drive.

2. Listen to the file and observe where the melody is 'active' and 'inactive'.

3. Create a new instrument in Sibelius.

4. Using chordal notes (notes from the chord) and notes from the blues scale create a

countermelody for the given melody following the AAB structure.

Good Luck