You can’t under-estimate the power of uplifting melody and words.
‘Is Qadar’ is a beautiful melody that will resonate with people.
I usually start with a lyric or a melody and then build a song around that.
People say it’s a bit repetitive to say, ‘Oh oh oh oh oh oh,’ but you can’t translate the melody into words.
I found a sound that people really liked – I found this basic concept and all I did was change the lyrics and the melody a little bit. My songs, if you listen to them, they’re quite a lot alike, like Chuck Berry.
Melody’s like tweezers that go into the infection and pull out the wounded part. You can almost not stay silent in the face of a melody that matches your emotion. You feel seen.
I’ve always been able to just concoct a melody quite easily – it’s just kind of instinct, really. You’ve got to channel your subconscious.
In Hungary all native music, in its origin, is divided naturally into melody destined for song or melody for the dance.
In 1973 we moved to the British Isle of Man, and I put my first band together for one year, named Melody Fair.
Well, I think writing is basically about time and rhythm. Like with jazz. You have your basic melody and then you just riff off of it. And the riffs are about timing.
Sometime when I’m on the road, if I hear an idea, a melody in my head on the iPhone we got the voice memos. So I just record the melody or sound or the whole idea for a record.
Chopin was a master of melody, harmony and voice leading – the art of smoothly moving from chord to chord.
On ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ I must insist that the sounds of the instrumentation are crucial to reflect what the movie should convey in terms of energy and emotion. It’s not just the melody or the tune.
‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,’ if you go through the lyrics, is such a haunting melody, and the words are, for a pop song, pretty deep and dark.
A good song has to have a great melody, and the lyrics have to touch my heart. Now, if it’s just a little toe-tapper, got to make me feel good somehow or another, or when I sing it I can’t make you feel good.
Ever since I was a child I’ve always been very attracted to melodies. Whether I hear Jeff Beck, a choir, an ocean or the wind, there’s always a melody in there.
I consider music to be storytelling, melody and rhythm. A lot of hip-hop has broken music down. There are no instruments and no songwriting. So you’re left with just storytelling and rhythm. And the storytelling can be so braggadocious, you’re just left with rhythm.
Nothing I do is ever void of melody. I know it might seem like I’m doing a lot of rapping, but I’m always utilizing tone and trying to find a key signature. So, I don’t look at myself as a rapper.
I think you can do a lot with lyrics and melody.
