What do all melodies have?

What do all melodies have?

• A. A rhythm with no pitches
• B. A contour or profile
• C. A fixed tempo
• D. A dynamic marking

Answer: (B)

All melodies have a contour—the overall shape of their pitches as they unfold in time. The contour is the way the melody climbs and falls, moving by steps or leaps, and even when the exact notes change, the rising, falling, or level direction gives the line its recognizable profile. This shape is what makes a melody sound like a melody across different tempos or instruments. A rhythm without pitches isn’t a melody, tempo isn’t what defines the melodic line, and dynamics describe loudness rather than the pitch sequence itself. So the contour or profile is the defining feature.

All melodies have a contour—the overall shape of their pitches as they unfold in time. The contour is the way the melody climbs and falls, moving by steps or leaps, and even when the exact notes change, the rising, falling, or level direction gives the line its recognizable profile. This shape is what makes a melody sound like a melody across different tempos or instruments. A rhythm without pitches isn’t a melody, tempo isn’t what defines the melodic line, and dynamics describe loudness rather than the pitch sequence itself. So the contour or profile is the defining feature.