1. The Motown Beat A medium tempo, between 100-120 beats per minute A strong backbeat Light timekeeping, usually percussion Moderate syncopation A bass line in free rhythm A dense, multi-layered, heterogeneous texture

2. Motown Melody Riffs –Instrumental riffs tend to be shorter Saturation

3. Motown Harmony Our experience with the Blues taught us three useful things about harmony –We hear harmonies from the bass up –I, IV and V are the three basic chords of the blues—and of early rock –The change from one chord to the next creates a rhythm

4. Motown Instrumentation A rhythm section contains three types of instruments –Bass instrument (stand-up or electric bass) –Chord instrument (guitar or piano) –Percussion instrument (drum kit, tambourine, etc.)

5. Dynamics and Inflection Dynamics refers to loudness and softness Inflection is dynamic variation on a small scale, a stress of one note over another Hierarchy –Vocal lines most prominent –Bass line and backbeat next loudest –All other lines in the background

6. Texture Texture is the relationship of different layers of musical activity Most common a) Melody b) A strong backbeat c) Light percussion

7. Texture Motown songs consist more of a set of preferences than a set of prescriptions A persistent feature in Motown recordings is call and response

8. Form The form of the song amplifies and reinforces the verbal message Mostly through the alternation of verse and refrain

9. Summary of the Motown Sound Light timekeeping (percussion and chord instruments) Melodic saturation Moderate syncopation Rich instrumentation Hierarchical dynamics Dense, multilayered texture Verse/Refrain forms that climax at title phrase

10. Why is Motown So Influential? A balance between melody and rhythm Multiple points of entry (riffs and hooks) A fresh new vocal sound close to mainstream taste Instrumentation that appealed to a wide- ranging audience Easy to follow forms