about figuring out melody

During his time in graduate school in the 1980s, David Fuentes had an intuition that melody was not merely a series of individual notes but was instead composed of common configurations of notes found in all tonal melodies. He tested his theory by encouraging his students to experiment with these "melodic figures" and was amazed by the results.

Over time, he refined his ideas and developed an original, comprehensive theory of melody called "Melodic Figuration," which he continues to refine today.

Through written materials, including: a 300-page eBook, public lectures, private lessons, workshops, videos, and syllabi for college courses, Fuentes continues to show composers how to use melodic figures to create melodies that are imaginative, emotionally expressive, and technically sound.