What it is
Motivic analysis studies how a piece arises from the repetition and transformation of small cells (motifs of 2–6 notes, or even just a rhythm or an interval). Its theoretical foundations: Arnold Schoenberg (the concept of the Grundgestalt, the "basic shape" from which everything derives, and of developing variation, described in the essay "Brahms the Progressive," 1947), Rudolph Réti (The Thematic Process in Music, 1951), Bernstein's analyses in the Young People's Concerts. While the entry "Motif and motivic development" explains how to compose with motifs, here you will find the method for analyzing them.
The transformations to recognize
Starting motif in C: C–D–E–C (quarter notes).
| Transformation | Result | What remains |
|---|---|---|
| Repetition | C–D–E–C | everything |
| Transposition / sequence | D–E–F–D, E–F–G–E | contour and rhythm |
| Inversion | C–B♭–A♭–C (real) or C–B–A–C (diatonic) | rhythm, intervals flipped |
| Retrograde | C–E–D–C | notes, order reversed |
| Augmentation | C–D–E–C in half notes | contour |
| Diminution | C–D–E–C in eighth notes | contour |
| Interval expansion | C–E–G–C | contour and rhythm |
| Fragmentation | C–D (repeated) | head of the motif |
| Rhythmic displacement | same motif starting on the second beat | notes |
| Reharmonization | same notes over different chords | melody |
| Mode change | C–D–E♭–C | contour |
Classic examples
- Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, Op. 67: the short–short–short–long cell (G–G–G–E♭) generates the first movement (in the sequences, in the second theme introduced by the horns with the same cell, in the development fragmented down to a single note) and returns in all the movements, above all in the horn theme of the Scherzo.
- Mozart, Symphony No. 40, K. 550: the opening motif in the strings (E♭–D–D, descending semitone and repeated note) is fragmented and developed in the development section down to two-note cells.
- Brahms, Symphony No. 4: the first theme is a chain of descending thirds (and ascending sixths), an interval that returns throughout the symphony.
- Wagner: the leitmotifs as a network of transformed motifs.
- Pop and rock: the riff of "Seven Nation Army" (The White Stripes, 2003) is a motif repeated and transposed throughout the track and also becomes the chorus line; many pop hooks are 2–3-note motifs repeated at different pitches.
The method, step by step
- Listen to the whole piece and note the moments when you hear "something already heard."
- Isolate the opening motif (or motifs): write it down, give it a name (a, b, x…) and note intervals and rhythm separately.
- Look for recurrences: scan the score (or the piano roll) and mark every appearance with the name of the motif and the type of transformation.
- Look for hidden kinships too: a characteristic interval (a minor third, a semitone) or a rhythm that returns with other notes.
- Map the appearances onto the form: in which sections is the motif whole, fragmented, liquidated (reduced until it disappears; Schoenberg's term is liquidation), combined with other motifs?
- Interpret: does the motif change character (from minor to major, from piano to fortissimo)? Does the motif's path tell a story?
- Check plausibility: a motivic analysis that finds "the motif everywhere" (for example in every descending scale) loses value. Consider only relationships that can be heard or that are reinforced by rhythm, register or instrumentation.
Practical tools
- Highlighters of different colors on the score (or pattern colors in the FL Studio piano roll).
- A table: bar – voice/instrument – motif – transformation – key.
- For produced tracks: separate the tracks with a source-separation tool and transcribe the riffs.
Exercise for a producer
- Transcribe the riff or hook of three tracks you love.
- For each, find how it is varied through the track (transposition in the chorus, fragmentation in the bridge, octave doubling in the last chorus).
- Apply the same to your own track: choose a 3–4-note motif and make it appear in at least four forms (bass, lead, vocal, FX).
Related entries
Motif and motivic development, Leitmotif and music drama, Caplin's formal functions, Bernstein: what is melody, Fugue: formal plan, Ballade and Romantic free form.