Melodic Math 101: The Prince Theory - Max Martin's Secret Weapon

Ive never seen that type of diagram before, it really helps to visualise and understand the structure, brilliant.

Another enhancement is used when video clip is included. The chorus gets a totally different visual.

🤦🏼‍♂️OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH for reminding me of this. I've been struggling trying to produce a Christmas album for someone because of some song structures that could totally work this way. I've always been obsessed with the way "Do You Know What It Takes" by Robyn does it.

Cool video man, keep up the good work 👍

This is briliant! Please do more videos about this

Thank you!Very interesting! Keep making videos man!🔥

Prince made some catchy ass pop songs

Awesome video thanks

Ever since I bought Controversy in the early 80s I have enjoyed Prince's music, but I have always found it eventually boring, even though its exciting. Thanks for explaining to me why that is. (This, imho, is why most Prince hits are largely forgotten, today: they're ultimately boring, and don't stand up to repeated listening, because there's really very little actual raw material being presented.)

Learned. Subbed.

One of my favorite videos of yours! Piano Man is another cool example of this!

Hey there, not trying to be too negative, but I think this reaches the wrong conclusion from good basics. I think all your points about the mechanics of how this songwriting technique works and you're so close to making the correct conclusions. However the real point of using a repeating melody in the verse to chorus is to show how the same content can be recontextualised and suddenly everything feels different. It's not just to increase the hookiness of a song, and no one is confused that these melodies haven't been heard before. But they are amazing at saying "here I am when I am lonely, but now I'm in love, and the world feels so different", for example. The harmony can be different in the background, meaning certain notes in the melody take on deeper meaning. People don't find it hard to listen to other longform songs, or remember the melodies, people aren't that shallow. But prog music, or 40s classics will usually use different melodic content to show the differences things might be, if you were to, say, move to New York from your hometown. Put on Chaka Khan I Feel for You, and pretty much every kid can dance and enjoy it. And there's lots of content before you get to the chorus :) Likewise, the buffer melodic content you describe isn't there to distract the listener, but rather to provide a lead-in to familiar territory - the feeling of 'you don't realise how nice it is to be home until you've been away'. Or it can be used to surprise the listener, for examaple "Wholesome, wholesome" sounds different when it's "You're problem is you think I'm so / Wholesome". Your interpretation feels pretty pessimistic about how this is used but it can be so much more positive.

Surprised you didn't mention the all time classic - Piano Man. Maybe it's a little old and certainly pre-dates Prince :)

this is blowing my mind

Great break down man, i thought i was mental about these sings but good to see others out there like me😅

Always appreciate your perspectives and insights. I knew Max Martin studied Prince and I'd heard of the correlation of melodies but these examples really bring the point home! Can you share which software you are using to depict the various sections of the song against the timeline?

He, Dennis Pop and Buddha produced Beautiful Life, which was written by Buddha and John Ballard. Performed by Buddha's band Ace of Base. Behind These Hazel Eyes written by him, Kelly Clarkson and Dr. Luke. Even rock musicians write with Max Martin: Cloud Number 9 with Bryan Adams a d Gretchen Peters, It's My Life with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.

Whoa!

What is this software!? I need it

What is this program called? It's perfect for structure analysis