Melodic music is a term that covers various genres of non-classical music which are primarily characterised by the dominance of a single strong melody line. Rhythm, tempo and beat are subordinate to the melody line or tune, which is generally easily memorable, and followed without great difficulty. Melodic music is found in all parts of the world, overlapping many genres, and may be performed by a singer or orchestra, or a combination of the two. Look up melody in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Rhythm (Greek ρυθμός = tempo) is the variation of the duration of sounds or other events over time. ... In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... See also the beat disambiguation page. ... Tune can refer to: a melody. ... LeAnn Rimes singing in concert A singer is a type of musician who uses his or her voice to produce music. ... The Boston Pops orchestra performing on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston, Massachusetts. ...

The fundamental principles and structural norms of melodic music were established in what is sometimes known as the Common practice period, dating from the 18th century to the early 20th century. Melodic music tends to have a consistent metre, pulse and tempo, things that are far less emphasised in contemporary music. In music the common practice period is a long period in western musical history spanning from before the classical era proper to today, dated, on the outside, as 1600-1900. ... Metre is the measurement of a musical line into measures of stressed and unstressed beats, indicated in Western notation by a symbol called a time signature. ... In music, a pulse is an unbroken series of distinct yet identical periodically occurring short stimuli perceived as points in time (DeLone et. ... In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... In the broadest sense, contemporary music is any music being written in the present day. ...

In the west, melodic music has developed largely from folk song sources, and been heavily influenced by classical music in its development and orchestration. In many areas the border line between classical and melodic popular music is imprecise. Opera is generally considered to be a classical form. The lighter operetta is considered borderline, whilst stage and film musicals and musical comedy are firmly placed in the popular melodic category. The reasons for much of this are largely historical. Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... For the use of the term orchestration in computer science, see orchestration (computers) Orchestration is the study and practice of adapting music for an orchestra or musical ensemble. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theater combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theater combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ...

Other major categories of melodic music include music hall and vaudeville, which, along with the ballad, grew out of European folk music. Orchestral dance music developed from localised forms such as the jig, polka and waltz, but with the admixture of latin american, negro blues and ragtime influences, it diversified into countless sub-genres such as big band, cabaret and Swing. More specialised forms of melodic music include military music and religious music. Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ... Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the common people. ... The jig (sometimes seen in its French language or Italian language forms gigue or giga) is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type, popular in Ireland and Scotland. ... Polka is a type of dance and genre of dance music; it originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia, and is still a common genre of Czech folk music; it is also common both in Europe and in the Americas. ... For a musical genre, see Waltz(music). ... The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on a pentatonic scale and a characteristic twelve-bar chord progression. ... Ragtime is an American musical genre, enjoying its peak popularity around the years 1900–1918. ... A big band is a large musical ensemble that plays jazz music. ... Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue — a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting around the tables (often dining or drinking) watching the performance. ... Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of jazz music that developed during the 1920s and solidified as a distinctive style during the 1930s in the United States. ... Religious music (also sacred music) is music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. ...

Traditional pop music overlaps a number of these categories: big band music and musical comedy, for example, are closely allied to traditional pop. mainstream pop music Traditional pop music is a genre of music which encompasses music that succeeded big band music and preceded rock and roll as the most popular kind of music in the United States, most of Europe, and some other parts of the world. ...

Examples of Melodic Composers

• Irving Berlin
• Noel Coward
• Noel Gay
• Oscar Hammerstein II
• Lionel Monckton
• Jacques Offenbach
• Richard Rodgers
• Johann Strauss II
• Arthur Sullivan

Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989), born Israel Isidore Baline, in Tyumen, Russia (or possibly Mogilev, Belarus), was an American composer and lyricist, one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history. ... Noël Coward Sir Noel Peirce Coward (spelling his forename Noël with the diaeresis was an affectation of later life, and Peirce is the correct spelling) (December 16, 1899 – March 26, 1973) was an English actor, playwright, and composer of popular music. ... Noel Gay born Reginald Armitage (July 15, 1898 - March 3, 1954) was one of the most successful British composers of popular music of the 1930s and 1940s. ... For work done with Richard Rodgers, see Rodgers and Hammerstein Oscar Hammerstein II (July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was a New-York born writer, producer, and (usually uncredited) director of musicals for almost forty years. ... Lionel Monckton (December 18, 1861 - September 15, 1924) was a British writer and composer of musical theatre. ... Jacques Offenbach (20 June 1819 – 5 October 1880), composer and cellist, was one of the originators of the operetta form, a precursor of the modern musical comedy. ... An autographed photo of Richard Rodgers Richard Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was one of the great composers of musical theater, best known for his song writing partnerships with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. He wrote more than 900 published songs, and forty Broadway musicals. ... Johann Strauss II The Waltz King coming to life in the Stadtpark, Vienna Johann Strauss II (or Johann Strauß Sohn - Johann Strauss son - or Johann Strauss the Younger, or Johann Strauss Jr. ... Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (May 13, 1842 – November 22, 1900) was a British composer best known for his operatic collaborations with librettist William S. Gilbert. ...

External link

• Melodic Music