Vary the motif

Vary the motif — guided practice

Make a deliberate musical revision while preserving the rhythm.

Open the completed A score and Save As small-steps-B.mscz. Guided revision: change bar 5 note 2 from D4 to F4, and bar 6 note 1 from A4 to G4. Keep all durations unchanged.

1. 1. Preserve the reference

   Confirm A still exists, then work only in B. Write the two intended pitch changes in melody-notes.txt before editing.

   You should see: The base and revised versions remain separately inspectable.

   A clear before-state makes listening comparisons meaningful.

2. 2. Change the returning motif

   Select the second note of bar 5, press N, 5, F, then Esc. Check that it remains one quarter note in octave 4. Bar 5 should now read C4 F4 E4 G4.

   You should see: The return keeps three original pitches and changes one.

   A controlled variation can add contrast without replacing the entire phrase.

3. 3. Change the next bar

   Select the first note of bar 6, press N, 5, G, then Esc. Bar 6 should read G4 G4 E4 D4. Check that entering the replacement did not add a chord or change the bar length.

   You should see: Two specified notes differ from A while all bar durations stay fixed.

   Changing one dimension at a time makes its effect easier to hear.

4. 4. Compare and explain

   Play bars 5–6 in A and B from their first note, stopping after the phrase. Write one concrete preference, such as the larger jump in B’s bar 5 adds contrast or the repeated G in bar 6 feels steadier. Keep either version as your musical preference; B remains the documented experiment.

   You should see: The note records a musical choice without claiming that one variation is objectively better.

   Creative evaluation can explain intention without an exact-text taste score.