Watch Me Fix a Boring Melody in 15 Seconds

Avoid a melody that just marks every beat with one even note.

Such a melody sounds like a metronome simply marking the beats, and it’s boring.

You need to find a way to make the melody more interesting.

You can do this by adding or changing notes. This makes the melody more lively and more unpredictable.

Compare, for example, this theme (modified version of Pirates of the Caribbean theme music):

with this one:

The second version feels more alive and less predictable.

Note: long, on-the-beat notes are beautiful when intentional. This tip is for when your lead melody sounds like a metronome placeholder by accident.