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5. Calculate Backwards
Now that you understand the basic strategies of ranges, let’s think in reverse. Say you want to keep the vocal range just in an octave for whatever reason. Which range do you choose?
If do–do or so–so, it fits in 2seg structure while any other choices result in 3 segments.
Yet you can virtually see them as intermediate variants of the basic 2seg forms. For example, re–re is like a sibling of do–do that gains descending approach to higher do at the sacrifice of lower do. Or mi–mi is similar to so–so in that various cadences and strides can be formed around a single center but with its highest stable tone so exchanged for the lowest stable tone mi.
6. Pace of Consumption
So far we analyzed pitch ranges within a single part, but the pace of range consumption through a whole song also matters a lot.
It is a common strategy to save the highest segment for the hook part. In any cases, creating some sort of contrast is a key for an impressive song.
“Work from Home” by Fifth Harmony is a typical example of how a contrast between parts is formed. Let’s visualize how the consumption of vocal range is managed.
This is the analysis of pitch ranges in each part (with some simplification). You can clearly see that in the verse and the chorus part the pitch ranges stick to lower do–so segment making a chilled mood, while the bridge part uses an ascending leap cadence mi–so–do to add some excitement.
I guess this is a rare case where the pre-chorus part occupies the higher range than the chorus. (To add a note, in the last chorus the lead vocal goes an octave higher and the song consumes 4 segments in total.)
Make Difference within a Segment
That said, you have many other control factors other than melodic ranges to characterize a part such as beats, timbre, countermelodies, melodic rhythms and so on. So of-course there are cases where not much difference of ranges can be found between parts.
“We Found Love” by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris has very simple vocal range structure; all the parts are in inward 2seg and most of the time pitches are stay even within just ti–fa.
However, you can still find a slight contrast here—Ti–do resolutions appear only in the verse and the chorus part, whereas so–so octave leaps are unique to the bridge part. Tendency tones and big leaps play important roles in characterizing melody lines, as you’ve already learned.
Keeping the vocal range constantly high is one rational strategy in these days when songs are often trimmed to like 30 seconds for sharing or people tend to skip songs due to the abundance of music provided by subscription services.
With the concept of range segmentation you can see through melodic structures more clearly, which will help you not only analyze songs but also writing a good melody!
Summary
- In LMT, the method of analyzing melodies by segments that divides an octave into two is called range segmentation.
- The widths of melodic ranges and the pace of consumption of segments is one of the big control factor of musical development.
