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Difference Between Melody and Harmony

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Melody vs Harmony

Melody and harmony are generally accepted in the same sense. There are many that equate melody to harmony. There is of course difference between melody and harmony when it comes to their application in the field of music.

As a matter of fact harmony complements melody. Melody appeals to the human mind if it is characterized by harmony. Melody should dominate the sections of a song if it is to be enjoyed by you. Melody sans harmony cannot appeal to your mind. Melody is something plain whereas harmony is the design that complements the plain structure.

Musicians are of the opinion that melody can still exist without harmony, but it appeals better with harmony. Harmony on the contrary would only add to the musical fervor. It has the ability to make the musical presentation even lively.

It is the melody that makes us remember the song vividly. The melody of a song that you listen to regularly would be nicely complemented by the complementary notes that you would hear alongside the melody.

Harmony arises when there are extra notes alongside the melody of a song. For example a male voice complementing a female voice in a duet is a clear case of harmony. The perfect blend or the harmony between the two voices paves the way for the lively presentation of the song or the sections of the song.

It is important to note that harmony needs a basic knowledge of scale numbering too. You need to have a basic understanding of major and pentatonic scales. An additional knowledge of scales may not be necessary for melody.

Recap:

The difference between melody and harmony:

Melody is the main series of notes that stand out enabling you to remember the particular song or the section of the song, whereas harmony is employed to decorate the musical effect of the song or a section of the song.

Harmony arises where there are extra notes alongside the melody of a song. In a way it is said to complement the melody of a song. Melody appeals to the mind better if it is complemented by harmony.


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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1330058451 Jeffrey Alan Craig

    You are wrong. Melody is, by literal definition, one note at a time sequences. Harmony is, by literal definition, multiple notes simultaneously, E.G. chords. Those are the only two differences. Your entire post just wreaks of subjective explanation of your own perception of music. I think that people wanting to know the difference between melody and harmony would rather just be given the literal definitions of them. 

    When a guitarist strums a chord, it is a harmony. When a guitar plays a riff, a’la Eric Clapton’s Layla, it is a melody. Plain and simple. 

    In fact, that is why harmony is called harmony. Harmony is basically a synonym for togetherness. E.g. Let’s all just live in harmony. When several notes combine to produce a sound, it is called a harmony. The opposite is melody, when each note is struck individually. It truly is that simple. There is nothing more to it.

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