Melody was the primary focus in this week’s lecture16, but in a complementary way – so riffs, counter-melodies, and answering melodies. The concept of riff is fairly ingrained in the music I listen to, and I’d already put it into practice by adding a riff to an older song of mine that needed an extra hook in parts.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w2q5qqkq7vg1vl5/%25%20Around%20You.m4a?dl=0
(riff at 1:26)
While it’s perhaps been more common in contemporary music to have female backing vocals answer a male lead, I found an example with the roles flipped that was proof that the concept wasn’t necessarily one way: Femme Fatale17 by the Velvet Underground (answering melody at 0:50).
Songs like these remind me that it’s important for me to remember when implementing concepts that they don’t have to abide by the convention that I’m familiar with.
16 Habel, Robyn. “Secondary Melodies”. Lecture presented at the course Song Writing and Performance 1B, University of Adelaide, October 28, 2019.
17 The Velvet Underground and Nico. “Femme Fatale”. The Velvet Underground and Nico. By Lou Reed. Produced by Andy Warhol. March 12, 1967.
Jachin's Songwriting and Performance Journal 