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The Motown Beat

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

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The Motown Beat

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  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

  11. The Sounds of Soul (video) • What is Soul music? • Who are some of its main contributors? • What are some musical examples? • How is Soul music a reflection of the late 1950s and early 1960s?

  12. Standing in the Shadow of Motown • Who are the Funk Brothers? • What is their contribution to Motown? • Which musician do we establish an allegicance with?  How do the filmakers create this allegiance?  What makes this musician compelling (or not)?

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