Well said, Don. I was wondering how long it would take for you to jump into this discussion. I agree with you on this.

I was amused by your trashing of singer songwriters - right on!. But then, not all singer songwriters are that bad. One that comes to mind, whom I admire both for her interesting lyrics and her beautiful and creative melodies is Meg Davis. I was first attracted to her by her song Captain Jack and the Mermaid.

As to your analysis of good melodies, I think that surprise is an important part of a melody. Good melodies don't follow a predictable course, but often jump to an unexpected note that makes you take notice and say, "I didn't expect that, but it was nice and better than where I thought it was going." Also a good melody should have a range of pitch and at least a few large leaps between notes. Of course there are other good melodies that seem to refute all those ideas. That's why it is hard to make rules or say just what a good melody should be.

And that book you mention sounds quite interesting.

Thanks, Don.

Cheers, S. in Seattle