Why are melodies so useful?

Melodies are one of the most useful development tools we have available to us as players and musicians.
Tone, colours and a deep emotional connection to the listener are difficult but can be taught and developed. Melodies help us do this in a number of ways because they are often short and not technically complicated but rely on beauty and expression.

• Thinking involves knowledge about the composer and the piece. The player needs to cover off on all aspects of the composer- his life, style, influences, repertoire, and any developmental aspects that may need to be considered in looking at repertoire. Be aware of the title of the piece, the background and any other information that would influence interpretation.
• Looking involves deciding what story the piece is telling. What form is this story taking and how are we going to tell that story. Looking also involves making sure we phrase properly, expressively and look for colour opportunities. Keys and key changes as well as markings. Often, we pull a piece around when there is no indication to do so. Adhering to the markings is essential to true interpretation.
• Feeling involves connecting ourselves emotionally with the piece, its theme and story. Empathy is a powerful interpretative tool and skill. The theme here in La Califfa is love and loss – can’t get more emotive than that.
  These three skills then affect our tone, expression, and interpretation. This is our opportunity to really delve into tone, colour, nuanced phrasing, and a deep musical performance. When the knowledge and thought process is truly within us, this is the moment we can stop blowing the instrument and join it with ourselves as one voice.
  Melodies also offer the opportunity like Melodious Studies and Tone Development to not pull around a musical phrase in the “name” of expression.

It is difficult to play a slow melodic line with a beautiful tone, deep expression and not pull it around. Often players resort to distorting the rhythm and the composers actual writing to “express” themselves. There is also another way to do this without pulling around the line and distorting the composers writing. Learning to be able to put deep expression in our tone and hold that expression through a phrase is that way. We need to think, look and feel our tone and expression.
A melody like La Califfa by Ennio Morricone is a great place to either start or continue to develop this skill set. It is also an excellent way to teach this skill.

Orchestral Version

Foundation Tools which are in the member’s section are the starting point with tone as they develop the speaking point, flexibility, quality, and depth as well as range, beauty and control. These alone are not enough. We need melodies that challenge us and will develop our empathy and interpretative skills. It is important to have emotional pain in our tone at times which relates to the subject matter.
Ennio Morricone themes are deep and beautiful. Perfect vocalisations. There is always an emotional connection to grasp and explore tone and expression wise. They make ideal musical exercises using words to express phrases and shape. This one utilises “ love, I really love you so” : “yes, I love you so, yes, I do”. I like using love because of Moyse’s quote “you can’t say “I love you with and ugly nasal voice”. Everything must be down and open to say it with warmth – it really aids wonderful tone and expression.
Joining the flute and your voice is a magical thing, the flute resonates with ease and it becomes effortless to express a phrase,It has to be worked on and that is why I sing every day and sing into the flute everyday when I warm up to make sure they are joined and resonating.You will develop this skill in the Foundation Tools and Foundation Tools vocalisation section.
The emotional connection is a deep one which we also explore and develop in Tone Development Through Interpretation extracts – love and loss.
I chose to play this in the low register because often it is difficult for a player to get the deep tonal quality, colour and emotion in this register.