Melodic motion
Melodic motion is the quality of movement of a melody, including nearness or farness of successive pitches or notes in a melody. This may be described as conjunct or disjunct, stepwise or skipwise, respectively. See also contrapuntal motion.
Bruno Nettl describes various types of melodic movement or contour (Nettl 1956, 51–53):
Ascending
Descending
Undulating: equal movement in both of the above directions
Pendulum: extreme undulation which uses a large range and large intervals
Tile, terrace, or cascading: a number of descending phrases in which each phrase begins on a higher pitch than the last ended
Arc
Rise: may be considered a musical form, a contrasting section of higher pitch, a "musical plateau".
Other examples include:
Double tonic: smaller pendular motion in one direction
These all may be modal frames or parts of modal frames.
See also
Parsons code
Pitch contour
Voice leading
Source
Nettl, Bruno (1956). Music in Primitive Culture. Harvard University Press.