A
melody (from
Greek μελῳδία,
melōidía, "singing, chanting"), also
tune,
voice, or
line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of
pitch and
rhythm, while more figuratively, the term can include successions of other musical elements such as
tonal color. It may be considered the foreground to the background
accompaniment. A line or
part need not be a foreground melody.