Between 1960 and 1970 Motown Records produced dozens of the biggest and most enduring pop hits of all time and created the "Motown Sound." At the core of that sound were great songs by Smokey Robinson, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Marvin Gaye, and others. To learn how to write Motown songs, listen to them and learn them. The song structures and chord progressions are fairly simple, but the possibilities are endless.
Things You'll Need:
Things You Will Need
Rhythm and Tempo
Listen carefully to the rhythm and tempo of all 10 songs.
Play along with the songs, following the sheet music or playing by ear. Practice until you can play each rhythm part with ease.
Notice rhythmic similarities and differences among the songs. All Motown songs, even the ballads, feature a solid, danceable rhythm.
Consider the tempos. The ballads are not so slow and the up-tempo tunes are not that fast.
Mix and match rhythms you have been practicing to create new ones.
Lyrics
Listen to the lyrics of each song. Notice which words are emphasized, whether with high notes, duration, or repetition.
Notice how singers sustain and manipulate some words and use others to create clipped or percussive sounds.
Read the lyrics out loud, as in conversation. Notice that the syllables you stress are also stressed by the singers.
Pick out the most striking lyric lines in each song. Notice that all are simple, direct, plain-language statements.
Notice how every word contributes to the song’s theme.
Write new lyrics that work with the tempo and feel of a rhythm you created.
Melody
Listen to the melodies of all 10 songs.
Look for patterns and variations in the melodies. Notice which songs repeat the melody of the first line in line two, and which do not.
Play the melody line of each song. Notice which notes are repeated or alternated.
Look for starts and stops in each melody. Note areas where the rhythm supports the melody and where the rhythm and melody work together for emphasis.
Write a new melody to accompany your new rhythm and lyric. The melody should emphasize the syllables in the lyric that you would stress when speaking.
Warnings:
- If you don’t have these recordings, buy them. Downloading songs for free is theft. The songs referred to are copyrighted material. Reusing them in whole or in part will get you into trouble. Let this music inspire and educate you. Then create something new.