Composing a Melody From Chords
If you are given, or have drummed up a chord progression. What follows is a rough set of steps to compose a melody for this chord progression.
  1. Come up with a short rhythmic figure to repeat - rhythm turns sound into music.
  2. Plan where your highest note will be - roughly 2/3rds along the melody - I like to think φ is the ideal spot - but who knows if that is true.
  3. Lightly sketch out the melody shape
  4. Set your rhythmic pattern on notes of the underlying chord - in such a way as to have the pitch follow the sketched out shape. You can stay on one note any time you like - and jump just ocassionally
  5. Sing it - how does it sound?
  6. To add the feels first move some of the hits on weak beats to pitches outside of the chord.
  7. Sing it - how does it sound?
  8. For more feels - put non-chord tones on some strong beats and 'resolve' down to a chord tones.
  9. Sing it - how does it sound?