A quick and easy guide to the art of the leitmotif — how to write, amend, and understand the role it plays in musical character development.
Tag: motif
“Descended From Myth” — RJD2 on Playing With Loopy Math (Video)
In this lesson from RJD2’s From Samples to Songs course, we learn how RJ approached one of his most beloved tracks with a conceptual mindset.
All (Human) Music Is Repetition — Let’s Talk About That.
Because our brains are constantly seeking out patterns, all the music we create can be plotted somewhere along the grid of repetition.
“Drivers License:” How Olivia Rodrigo Uses Much More Than Lyrics to Tell Her Story
Today we break down Olivia Rodrigo’s smash hit “Drivers License” to show how she uses much more than lyrics to tell her heartbreak story.
How The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Takes Beethoven’s Ideas to #1
In this analysis, pop music theorist Ben Morss shows how The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is built from four-note scale segments.
7 Melody Writing and Motivic Development Techniques for Songwriters
Want to write catchier melodies? Use any of these seven approaches to motif development and your melody will surely get stuck in your listener’s head.