In music, a motif is a short fragment of music that gets developed and repeated throughout the length of a song. The repetition aspect of a motif makes it similar to a hook. But a hook generally repeats verbatim; it generally sounds the same each time we hear it, like “She loves you, yeah, yeah, […]
I’m often asked about motifs – how they work in typical songwriting, and if songwriters even need to be aware of them. Unlike a hook, which does its work in the foreground, a motif is a small building-block of music that works mainly in the background. That’s not to say we don’t typically hear motifs — […]
I’ve always felt that humans learn more by connecting to a great metaphor than they do by a more direct (metaphor-less) description of something. Saying to someone, “I’m in love!” is, of course, clear and obvious. Saying “I’m over the moon!” is full of emotion and power, the kind of power that connects strongly to listeners […]
If you find yourself using a melodic or rhythmic idea throughout a song, you’re using a motif. Here’s how that works. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 10-eBook Deluxe Bundle, and increase your song’s HIT potential. For desktop, laptop, iPad, iPhone, or any other mobile PDF-reading device. It’s time to take your music to a new level of excellence! _____________ If […]
