Development of the Motif

reading from: Pete Thomas - Composition, Orchestration and Arranging (book/online)

Today I read up on motif development online from the above mentioned book. The main brace of this research was to look into the use of repetition and how, when used effectively, it can help to manipulate  a musical theme.

The main point to take away from this research is that approximate repetition (especially in the melody) is often necessary, especially when the harmony is changing. The following are 4 points as to how repetition may be used within a motif to develop and manipulate a theme.

1) Repetition of the main shape of the melody
2) Repetition of selected notes/essential pitches of the melody
3) Repetition of melody at different pitch (exact transposition)
4) Repetition of melody using the same intervals at a different scale degree (tonal transposition)

The second part of the research lead to the thought of how we can develop a theme using either unity or variety of the same aspects of the music:

UNITY                                                Variety

Repetition                                        Lack of Repetition
Static Harmony                               Changing Harmony
Smooth Dynamics                          Radical Dynamics
Unchanging Orchestration             Changing Orchestration
Limited Range of Pitch                  Wide Range of Pitch
Rhythmic Continuity                      Rhythmic Variety

It must be noted that unity does not necessarily mean monotony and that variety does not necessarily mean interest.

These are points that I am baring in mind when writing my compositional themes and to an extent have been very much aware of when beginning the music writing process. To latch on to a theme, there must be some sort of repetition, something the viewer can constantly relate to the specific image that they see, if the theme constantly changed drastically, it would almost form a new piece of music without any transition. The change of key, using same interval leaps or light changes to melody over time can begin to change the full melody without losing the viewers grip on that theme and what it symbolises or captures. Various parts of my initial theme use this technique. The melody begins the same, but the rhythm begins to change, intervals stay the same but the melody begins to change, the melody is played in a lightly different key, new orchestration begins to enter to provide variety. To truly accomplish a theme that people can relate to and remember you mustn't stray too far from the theme but begin to manipulate it in a fashion that takes on new meaning.