A cheat sheet for Dum-Me

Top backbone melodies that account for most modern pop music:

1. The descending minor scale. This is one of the most common melodies in pop music, and it can be heard in songs like "Yesterday" by The Beatles, "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen, and "Creep" by Radiohead.
   Opens in a new windowwww.musical-u.com

   descending minor scale backbone melody in modern pop music
2. The ascending major scale. This melody is also very common in pop music, and it can be heard in songs like "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, "Roar" by Katy Perry, and "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars.
   Opens in a new windowsplice.com

   ascending major scale backbone melody in modern pop music
3. The I-V-vi-IV chord progression. This is a common chord progression in Western music, and it can be heard in songs like "Let It Be" by The Beatles, "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, and "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond.
   Opens in a new windowmedium.com

   I-V-vi-IV chord progression backbone melody in modern pop music
4. The blues scale. This scale is often used in blues and rock music, but it can also be heard in pop songs like "Respect" by Aretha Franklin, "Whole Lotta Rosie" by AC/DC, and "Brown Sugar" by The Rolling Stones.
   Opens in a new windowmixedinkey.com

   blues scale backbone melody in modern pop music
5. The pentatonic scale. This scale is another common scale in Western music, and it can be heard in songs like "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", and "Amazing Grace".
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   pentatonic scale backbone melody in modern pop music
6. The call-and-response melody. This melody is characterized by two phrases that are sung in alternation, and it can be heard in songs like "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", "Lean on Me", and "Bridge Over Troubled Water".
   Opens in a new windowwww.billboard.com

   call-and-response melody backbone melody in modern pop music
7. The repeated-note melody. This melody is characterized by a single note or short phrase that is repeated over and over, and it can be heard in songs like "Hakuna Matata", "Let's Go Crazy", and "I Will Survive".
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   repeated-note melody backbone melody in modern pop music
8. The arpeggio melody. This melody is characterized by a series of notes that are played in a chord, and it can be heard in songs like "Imagine" by John Lennon, "Imagine Dragons" by Imagine Dragons, and "Hotel California" by The Eagles.
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   arpeggio melody backbone melody in modern pop music
9. The syncopated melody. This melody is characterized by off-beat rhythms, and it can be heard in songs like "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars, "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, and "I Feel Good" by James Brown.
   Opens in a new windowjulieannesanjose.com

   syncopated melody backbone melody in modern pop music
10. The whistle melody. This melody is characterized by high-pitched whistling, and it can be heard in songs like "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", "Whistle While You Work", and "Let It Go" from Frozen.
    Opens in a new windowwww.rollingstone.com

    whistle melody backbone melody in modern pop music

These are just a few of the many backbone melodies that can be found in modern pop music. By understanding these melodies, you can better understand the structure and form of pop songs, and you can also use them to create your own original melodies.