Editorial desk · Practical notes

Follow a melody through a piece

Choose a short movement and listen once without taking notes. On a second pass, hum or describe the opening melody in ordinary words. Notice whether it returns unchanged, moves to another instrument or becomes a quieter fragment.

Write down the recording and movement title so you can find the same performance again. Mark an approximate time for one return of the melody. Avoid deciding what the music ought to mean; your first task is simply to notice what changes.