Ascent
Melody: Part 26
We can now get acquainted with the 5 melodies we will be decoding.
If you’d like to get right to decoding, head to the last section of this post, where you can listen to all the melodies and take your best shot.
This part will serve only as an introduction to these 5 melodies. The parts following this one will take them apart, making the decoding process somewhat easier.
In each case, the melody that’s presented as the original version is actually just a simplified instrumental (non-vocal) version1, intentionally simplified so that you can focus on the essentials.
Decoding a Melody
Even after all the simplifications, this might turn out to be a formidable challenge, so we’ll break it down into 4 parts, as we have done with the melody of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in the previous part:
First, we’ll decode only the loudness contour.
Next, we’ll decode its rhythm.
Then, we’ll decode its pitches.
Finally, we’ll put it all together.
This 4-part process will involve each melody being separated into 3 layers like before — loudness, time and pitch — so you won’t be completely left to your devices.
Of course, if you’d like to attempt it entirely unassisted, I’ll be the first to cheer you on.
Decoding a Layer
First, listen to the relevant layer of the melody a couple of times.
Then, listen to the original melody a few times to get a feel for how the layer relates to it. This will also help you remember the melody with greater clarity.
Next, try decoding it, using only the layer audio and the corresponding audio dictionary for that layer. Name every element right until you get to the end of the layer, taking your best guess in each case.
If you get stuck, look to the hints for help.
Once you’re done with a layer, take a look at the solution and figure out the gaps in your perception by comparing the solution with your guesses.
Quintuplet Peaks
And finally, here are the 5 melodies we’ll be decoding:
Melody No. 1: Netru Illaatha Maatram (approximately 0:28-0:40 of the linked video), a classic by the living legend A.R. Rahman:
Melody No. 2: Jab Se Tumi San Laagali (approx. 1:25-1:36 of linked video), an age-old exemplar of the beauty of Khayaal music:
Melody No. 3: Symphony No. 25 (approx. 1:34-1:46 of linked video), a work of genius by the composer W.A. Mozart:
Melody No. 4: Pehla Nasha (approx. 0:47-1:00 of linked video), a true gem of Bollywood by the music director duo Jatin-Lalit:
Melody No. 5: Mamma Mia (approx. 1:03-1:20 of linked video), an era-defining tune by the pop group ABBA:
Moving Forward
In the next part, we’ll decode the loudness contours of the above 5 melodies by ear (with a few helpful hints peppered in).
Do you love music? And learning? Well, then Sound Insight is the place for you!
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If you’d like to learn more, please reach out through comments/DMs. I’d love to learn from you as well!
Needless to say, all of this is only for educational purposes. These are not performances of any of these songs by a long shot, and neither have I composed them. Check out the source of each melody by following the provided links.