Music

Music Composition: Building Melodies Using Motifs

Musical themes in composition are characterized by three main categories: motif, melodic phrase, and period. You use these three kinds of melodic elements to build your compositions. Motif: A motif is the smallest form of melodic idea. It can be as short as two notes, like “cu coo,” or the first two notes of the theme from Star Wars. Melodic phrase: A melodic phrase can be up to four or more measures in length....