Stepwise melodic motion sounds smooth while leaps sound dramatic and should resolve back by step

Melodic motion either moves by step (adjacent scale degrees, intervals of a 2nd) or by leap (skipping one or more degrees). Stepwise motion sounds smooth and vocal — it’s the most natural melodic path and is how scale-based random walks reliably produce melodic-sounding lines. Leaps (4th and larger) sound dramatic, expressive, or angular; classical voice-leading convention says a leap should usually be followed by stepwise motion in the opposite direction to ‘re-anchor’ the line. Leaps can be used deliberately for drama, but overuse creates a jagged, unsingable feel. The random-walk-melody idiom exploits small steps precisely to avoid accidental leaps.

Examples

Stepwise: C-D-E-F sounds vocal and smooth. Leap: C-A creates drama; following with G-F (step down) resolves the leap.

Assessment

Describe the voice-leading convention for following a large leap. Explain why a random-walk melody constrained to step motion within a pentatonic scale reliably sounds melodic.