A random-walk melody uses small steps through scale degrees so stepwise motion reads as a tune

A random-walk melody (drunk walk) generates a melodic line by stepping randomly with small increments through scale degrees. The critical constraint is step size: small steps are what the ear reads as a tune, because stepwise motion is the basis of melodic perception, while large random jumps sound unrelated. Combining a scale constraint with small steps guarantees every result is both in-key and melodically coherent. Biasing the steps toward chord tones on strong beats keeps the line consonant within the current harmony.

Examples

// SuperCollider: Pbind(\degree, Pbrown(0,7,2,inf), \scale, Scale.minor) // walk, max step 2 degrees

Assessment

Explain why small step size is the critical constraint in a random-walk melody, and how you would bias the walk toward chord tones on strong beats.