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

The Top40 Theory Melodic Math Course Page: www.top40theory.com/melodic-m...
About the video:
Max Martin rarely talks in detail about his creative toolbox, which is commonly referred to in the music industry as "Melodic Math". But in one interview, he did provide a nugget about a technique frequently used by Prince, that he (Max) has used himself on quite a few of his hit songs.
Fundamentally, it's a simple technique. You use the same melody in the verse and chorus, but you have to 'distract' the listener so they aren't completely aware of the fact that the melodies are identical. This helps you target the listeners subconscious brain rather than their conscious brain, and helps to achieve a more visceral connection.
In this video, I go through a number of songs that use this technique and explain the nuances and the differences in how each song implements it.
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[@erezgoor]

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

[@zaphodrahja]

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

[@WineSippingCowboy]

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.

[@cstoomey]

This is briliant! Please do more videos about this

[@a_ggghost]

🤦🏼‍♂️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.

[@jamesdoctor8079]

Cool video man, keep up the good work 👍

[@Top40Theory]

Thank you!

[@kerilop98]

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

[@Top40Theory]

Thanks, I will!

[@Obscurity202]

Awesome video thanks

[@clear_gray_sky539]

Prince made some catchy ass pop songs

[@charliekelland7564]

Learned. Subbed.

[@kintubeats]

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

[@alexngomusic]

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

[@Top40Theory]

Thanks, Alex! Always appreciate more examples to add to the catalog!

[@jfo3000]

Piano Man is the blueprint for Iris? They are so, so similar. I hear them on top of each other.

[@ZalexMusic]

this is blowing my mind

[@balorprice]

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.

[@gregmark1688]

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.)

[@LutherBaker]

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?

[@Top40Theory]

Thanks! The software is Variations Audio Timeliner.

[@LutherBaker]

@@Top40Theory ty!!!

[@peteryu9866]

Whoa!

[@klaxoncow]

So, apparently, there really is "joy in repetition".

[@JSnyder49428]

What is this software!? I need it

[@JSnyder49428]

I found it! For others interested, it's called Audio Timeliner

[@mathewsvinicius7957]

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

[@Top40Theory]

Variations Audio Timliner

[@gregory9028]

The elephant in the room. Prince produced 39 albums in 40 years, he is one the most prolific artist in all of world history. So......... Why are you not using small excepts of Prince songs to illustrate the Prince Theory? Why are you using Katy Perry , the Goo Goo Dolls, Britney Spears, Pit-bull, Rihanna, Lana Del Ray to illustrate the Prince Theory? The explanation could be a bit clearer.

[@Top40Theory]

A couple of reasons: 1. This technique did not originate with Prince and he is far from the only one who has used it. It's colloquially referred to as the 'Prince theory' because Max Martin cited Prince as his inspiration for using it, but it could've been called "the verse-chorus shared melody technique" and it would still be the same technique. 2. The point of this channel is to help inform the work of songwriters who are writing songs today, so it helps to see how this technique is used by various artists throughout several decades, rather than stick to a single artist whose most influential work came in the 80s and 90s. I'm not sure why showing other artists using the same technique makes it less clear, though, so I can't respond to that part.

[@alexgoumas]

Max has tied Paul and John for most no 1's and will surpass them on his next no 1 as a songwriter and a producer ! History in the making

[@jfo3000]

Paul and John together with ghost writer George. George Martin that is. And how many others chipped in if they didn't credit GM? Maybe Max has some help as well... All contributors not being credited can also be seen with Thomas Edison, and probably goes back to the invention of money / compensation and Ego itself.

[@erezgoor]

Learning to fly Tom Petty

[@Top40Theory]

Thanks, always appreciate more examples!

[@erezgoor]

@@Top40Theory piano man

[@johnqpublic4662]

The problem with your theory is that, even in these dog shit Max Martin songs, the verse and the chorus don’t actually have the “same melody.” They may be in the same key and have similar motifs. This is called “composition.” Composers learn that everything in a piece should be made out of the same stuff, not out of different stuff.

[@maxwellreichart3797]

why are you so mad lol

[@johnqpublic4662]

@@maxwellreichart3797 why are you such a stereotypical Millennial or Zoomer that you respond to substantive points with extremely online ticks like “why you mad” and “lol”?

[@johnqpublic4662]

1998 - "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears 2010 - "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry 2012 - "One More Night" by Maroon 5 2015 - "Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift What do these songs have in common? They suck. They’re dogshit.

[@Vincentedrawit01]

Deconstructing genius. Boring AF.

[@graaaaaagh]

What would be the more interesting alternative?