Chopin: Make The Melody Glide (2 beat over 3 beat)

How to make the melody feel like is gliding or floating or sliding.

The beginning of Chopin's Minute Waltz includes a classic reapeating melody: G, A flat, C, B flat. This is 2 beats or 4 eigth notes. When it begins its played on top of a classic waltz bass line that is 3 beats or 3 quarter notes.

That means the melody ends while there is still more of the bass line to play. So we go right back into repeating the melody again as we finish off the bass line. And now when we start the bass line at the beginning of the next bar, we're starting in the middle of the melody. It creates a feeling that the melody is sliding over the bass.

It sounds beautiful but is more difficult to pull off because the bass line notes needs to harmonize with more of the notes in the melody. It probably has many great applications, but it's especially nice in a waltz to achieve a floating or gliding rythm.