A complete revision workflow — apply this to any melody phrase to find and fix unintentional zone placements
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1
Identify Every Note
Write out the DO-TI solmization for the entire phrase. Sing or play it slowly and name each note. Don't guess — be precise. If you're not sure which note is which, figure it out before continuing. The whole audit depends on accurate labeling.
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2
Mark Each Chord
Write the chord playing under each melody note. For phrases with multiple chords, note exactly where each chord change occurs. Focus on the important notes (chord-change notes, held notes, start/end notes) — you don't need to analyze every 16th note passing tone.
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3
Determine Chord Tone Status
For each important note, ask: is this note in the chord? The chord tones are the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th of the current chord. Everything else is a non-chord tone. Mark each: CT (chord tone) or NCT (non-chord tone).
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4
Map to Stability
Rank each important note on the stability ladder: DO=1 SO=2 MI=3 LA=4 RE=5 TI=6 FA=7. Notes 1-3 are stable; notes 4-7 are unstable. This is the first axis of the Emotional Map.
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5
Place Each Note in a Zone
Combine stability (Step 4) and chord tone status (Step 3) to get each note's zone: Stable + CT = Zone 1 (Sweet) · Unstable + CT = Zone 2 (Tense) · Stable + NCT = Zone 3 (Float) · Unstable + NCT = Zone 4 (Bitter). Label each important note with its zone number.
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6
Check Zone Distribution
Tally up Zone 1/2/3/4 counts for this phrase. Compare to the Reference Zone Distributions on Sheet 6A for your section type. Is the balance appropriate for where this section sits in the song? Too much Zone 4 in a chorus is a red flag. Too much Zone 1 in a verse = potentially boring.
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7
Review the 5 Key Notes
Check the five most important notes (from Sheet 4B): First note, Last note, Highest note, Longest note, Beat 1 notes. For each: what zone is it in? Is that zone intentional? Does it match what that moment needs emotionally? If not, that's where to revise first.
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8
Sing It Back
After completing steps 1-7, sing or play the phrase while aware of the zone map you've created. Does it feel the way the zone map predicts? If the analysis says Zone 3 (floating, modern) but it actually feels harsh and tense — find the mismatch. The map is a tool; your ear is the judge.
⚠ Red Flags — Fix These Before Moving On
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3+ consecutive Zone 4 notes — listener fatigue. The ear needs contrast. Insert a Zone 1 or Zone 3 landing point, or shorten the bitter phrases.
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Chorus ending on TI or FA — no resolution. The hook needs to land. If the last important chorus note is Zone 4, the whole section feels incomplete.
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All Zone 1, no tension — too safe, predictable, and emotionally flat. Add a non-chord tone or unstable degree in the middle of phrases to create motion.
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No Zone 3 or 4 anywhere — the melody lacks color and interest. Even conservative hooks need some non-chord tones for personality and memorability.