Melody – the principle part of harmonized music
I’m a songwriter and musician and I love music in almost any form. I like to see creative things done with songs and do some creating myself on a regular basis. I play keyboard and guitar and have a pretty good understanding of music in it’s form and function. When thinking about music there is a MELODY and there is ACCOMPANIMENT. When you hear a band play a song they will shine on the accompaniment part with guitars playing chords, bass playing a bass line, and other instruments blending to make the background or accompaniment build “the body” of a song. They can actually jam on a song and never even have a melody note played. They are playing the form or body of the song and it sounds great, but the heart of the song is missing. What actually makes the song a song is the melody. The melody is the most important part of a song. Why? It is the individual note expression of the song itself. Being a songwriter I have written songs from every angle; play a melody and add chords, play chords and add a melody, write some words and do both of those after I’ve put that down. All in all the formation of a song has many different elements, but the thing that gives the song it’s identity is the melody. I am always amazed when I hear a very subtle background on a song and then a simple melody is highlighted and how it causes me to really listen to the song. Much more so than a huge orchestra or band production that is pleasing, but not very personal at times. The simple, pure melody is what draws me to truly listen to the essence of the song and then it captures me! My heart is stirred and my ears are straining, wanting to hear more. That’s the effect of a melody.
Which brings to mind. What is the melody of our life? It’s sometimes hard to hear because the overall background music of just living is so loud you can’t hear our melody anymore. Of course, I don’t want to get mystic here, but don’t we actually let our melody get drowned out by just living repetitious life? I believe we do. I actually think that God puts a life melody in each of us when we receive Him and that melody is sweet and alluring for those who are searching for their life melody. Before long though the rush of life and the constant din of the noise of life starts to make our melody lose it’s volume and it’s presence. David wrote in Psalm 89:1, “Your love, God, is my song, and I’ll sing it!! I’m forever telling everyone how faithful You are.” Wow, some great words about the melody in David’s heart. Without getting too sappy, I want to say that the melody God puts in each of our hearts, is a melody of a loving Father who sent His Son to give everyone a song in their heart. That’s it! That’s your melody. If you will take away all the accompanying music, like church attendance, tithing, serving, reading the Bible, and many other things we make “duties,” you will hear your melody again. When you hear it. Really listen to it…..I mean really listen to it. In the midst of all who have come to faith in Christ you will see that your melody is different than anyone else’s. Why? Because He made you totally unique.
A closing warning would be; don’t fall into the trap of just doing Christian things to find yourself in God’s Kingdom. Find your melody (find yourself) in the presence of a Holy God who loves you desperately and see who you are to Him. I think I hear your melody coming back. I’m just sayin…….
Then, this a big BIG then. You will want to be a part of serving God, and giving to God, and living for God, and learning about God, and loving God. Not because it’s what all other Christians do…. But because that is who YOU are.
God will even name and publish your song to the world you live in. Paul said it all in 2 Corinthians 3:3 when he said, “Christ himself wrote it-not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human life- and we publish it.” Let your melody ring from the rafters; “I am loved by God and He created a new life in me!!”
The Pilgrimage continues……
David Warren