

Professional composers know how to expand and develop a theme to make it go farther, musically speaking.Īlthough there are pieces where every melody is a different theme, these are the exception rather than the rule.įor example, in a film score, it would be exhausting to listen to two hours of different themes! Instead, film composers have themes preceded by introductory music or followed by melodies that help develop the original theme. The reason that not every melody is considered a theme is because a theme lays the foundation for other melodies to follow.

There is a difference between a melody and a theme, but themes are almost always a melody. In this article, we’ll look at some famous examples of theme and learn how a theme differs from a melody. In modern music, a song’s main instrumental riff can be thought of as a theme.Īs we’ll soon find out, there are endless ways for a composer to both create and develop a theme. In traditional western music, theme typically refers to a brief melody that is repeated, expanded upon, and altered throughout the course of a piece. In classical music and film scores, an entire work may be structured around a single theme or a set of themes.


What Is Theme In Music?Ī theme is the glue that holds a piece together and relates different melodies to each other. Not all themes are melodies, and not all melodies are considered themes in classical music.ĭon’t worry, this isn’t as confusing as it sounds. You may have heard musicians discussing theme in music, and you might be wondering how to know when something is a theme versus a melody.Īs we’ll soon find out, they can at times be used interchangeably, but not always.
