How to make 1 minute AABA into longer song

Hello,

I'm learning about composition and how to write melodies. Today I wrote a small melody in AABA form. At 90 bpm it is slightly over 1 minute long. Most pieces are 3-4 minutes. I'm at a loss as to what I can do to make this piece longer. The only thing I can think of is my A is too short - it's 8 measures. Then the B is 8 measures as well. So that gives me 32 measures total. My background is more in jazz and in jazz that would be very typical. In jazz it'd be played once, and then repeated with various band members improvising on the melody and then finish up with the original. But I don't really want to do a jazz style so I don't know what to do. Even if I had some kind of intro and then build it up by adding some chords etc. that probably won't be enough.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

There are an almost infinite number of ways you could proceed. Examine some of the many sets of theme and variations by Mozart, Beethoven and others on simple melodies. The 'theme' consists of what you have already. Simple ways to create variation would be:

- Write a new melody over the same chord sequence

- Put a major-key melody into the minor or vice versa

- Put the melody in the bass and have the chords on top

- Repeat the melody over a new chord sequence, which will probably be more chromatic and adventurous.

More complex ways:

- write the melody in canon with itself (if this can be made to work)

- have the melody played at half speed as an accompaniment to a new idea.

- write a new idea based on only a few notes of the original melody (this is called motivic development and is similar to what you hear in jazz improvisation)

Other ideas:

- Repeat the melody but with a change each time until it turns into something new (a bit like minimalism)

- Change the rhythms

- Use the same notes as the original melody, but put the actual pitches several octaves above or below those of the original to create a melody that leaps about.

- have the notes of the melody played on two instruments alternating with each other (known as hocketing)

Hope this gives some food for thought. Also consider the actual notion of 'melody' itself. Does this have to mean a recognisable 'tune'? Does it have to be 8/16 bars long? Can anything be melody?

Post it in Unfinished Works. :)

Is it a jazz tune? You say the form is AABA, but not what kind of melody it is.

Simple ways to create variation would be:

Great ideas, thanks for sharing. This gives me lots of ideas to work on and will keep me busy.

Is it a jazz tune?

It's not jazz, I came up with it while playing my native american flute. I lost my microphone so I have to order a new one. When it comes in I will be able to post in the unfinished work section. I'd love to get ideas & feedback from others so I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for the suggestion.