RodeoSchro said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

irreverence said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

Putting a unique drum sound on every other 4th beat.

Employing a bridge that doesn't lead to a chorus.

This is interesting. Could you give examples of the two?

Regarding a drum sound (often a Linn clap) on the 4th beat, every other measure: a lot of times it seems to be on the 4th beat (like in the songs listed below), and sometimes I'll notice a weird stab on an off beat (Anotherloverholenyohead, Mountains, Automatic), on the 3 (Let's Pretend We're Married), the 3 and 4 (Wonderful Ass), or on the 2 (Noon Rendezvous, Everybody Loves Me), but always every other measure. I don't know why I notice it specifically with Prince's music. I'm sure many have done similar things. Maybe it's because his music has tended to dominate my listening over the years.

Controversy
Baltimore
Raspberry Beret
If I Was Your Girlfriend
17 Days
Glam Slam
Computer Blue
If Eye Could Get Your Attention (Taja and Jill versions)
I Would Die 4 U
1999
All Day, All Night

I should clafify and say not specifically a bridge that doesn't lead to a chorus (or one that functions as a chorus), but even verses that build up to an expected chorus, but end up going into a lead line, or even the next verse (Teacher, Teacher). It's interesting to me how he tends to avoid a conventional chorus sometimes:

In This Bed Eye Scream
Love Like Jazz
When You Were Mine
I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
Right Back Here In My Arms
Silly Game
Lavaux
So Far So Pleased
Love Song
Love...Thy Will Be Done
Rockandroll Loveaffair
2Y2D
Black Muse (does a kind of inverse thing where the verses almost sound like choruses split by bridges, She Spoke 2 Me kind of does this, too)
Sticky Like Glue

Many of the suggestions so far are not unique to Prince but are typical songwriting techniques that many artists use.

His diversity makes it difficult, so it's certainly a challenging question. In a nuthsell, I think he often prefers somewhat simpler melodies (by that I mean, he won't obsess over note selection - he's happy to sing 2-3 commonly sung notes in a row, such as maj3rd, min7th, root), but what he does special is with his rhythmic feel. He can turn 3 simple notes into an interesting rhythm, then add many layers with multiple instruments, maintaining a full-song awareness with every instrument. You can tell a great musician has carefully integrated the unique rhythms, tones, and melodies of every instrument in the song.

This is why I think he's so consistently great when electronic drums are central to his songwriting. His feel for rhythm is slightly more advanced than his other brilliant skills.

Other artists might have a great chord/vocal melody relationship but since they have a backing band or a studio band, there is no creativity elsewhere in the song - so the bass copies the guitar, the drums mimic the bass, the backing vocals harmonise with the lead, and there's literally only 2 different musical ideas in the entire verse or the entire chorus to listen to.

Meanwhile, you can listen to a Prince song 3 times in a row and focus on something different and get a different experience everytime.

This is most noticable with the bass, as most bands somewhat neglect the bass as a unique instrument to write a unique melody for... In Call My Name for example, he really knows how to fill the space with bass. Or the outro of 'Time' from AOA. Every instrument has it's own space.

Thus, the fact Prince is a multi-instrumentalist and a control freak contributes to his trademark sound.

Also, I'd like to say the riff in Jam of the Year or even Sex Shooter is very Prince (as influenced by that Minneapolis sound). A few simple notes, but with an interesting rhythm. But it's certainly hard to find a common musical trademark over so many years of diverse music. It shows how creative he is when creativity over multiple instruments is the only common link between most of his music.

Edit: For the casual fan, I guess his scream is his most distinctive trademark sound. I was talking more about his songwriting techniques though.

[Edited 12/20/15 6:58am]

thebanishedone said:

RodeoSchro said:

He goes off-key in the bridge a lot.

Chicken Grease.

Descending chord runs.

Lots of wah in the guitar.

He ALWAYS has the strongest rhythm section.

No one can touch his harmonies.

Those are my observations.

Off key in a bridge? where please explain

I'd describe that as he isn't afraid to break the rules... which is actually the rule, since the Beatles chose to go out of the standard key in over 80% of their songs.

Prince is less bound by traditional songwriting structure IMO. He likes to progress throughout a song and rarely falls into a rigid structure of:

4 lines verse,

4 lines chorus,

4 lines verse,

4 lines chorus,

breakdown bridge,

8 lines chorus

...

Or if he chooses to follow that kind of template, he'll layer the last chorus and stretch the melody around while soloing on guitar and doing something new in the background; it won't be repetitive.

GoldStandard said:

thebanishedone said:

RodeoSchro said: Off key in a bridge? where please explain

I'd describe that as he isn't afraid to break the rules... which is actually the rule, since the Beatles chose to go out of the standard key in over 80% of their songs.

Prince is less bound by traditional songwriting structure IMO. He likes to progress throughout a song and rarely falls into a rigid structure of:

4 lines verse,

4 lines chorus,

4 lines verse,

4 lines chorus,

breakdown bridge,

8 lines chorus

...

Or if he chooses to follow that kind of template, he'll layer the last chorus and stretch the melody around while soloing on guitar and doing something new in the background; it won't be repetitive.

Thanks, that was a better explanation than I could have given!

RodeoSchro said:

He uses "You" ("U") a lot in song titles and lyrics.

(I haven't done any real research. LOL)

^ His heavy use of symbolism one of his most consistent and longest running trademark songwriting elements. 4, U, 2, B., C But also, for the pronoun "I". Mirrored heart on his arm during Lovesexy era--symbolizing wearing his heart on his sleeve. Titling his 1992 album with the 'love symbol' , and soon after changing his name to a symbol. That act alone took symbolism to a whole new level for a contemporary figure, so I consider his heavy use of symbolism to be a distinguishing feature of his writing.

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Purple has been most often associated with him since the 1999 album and of course Purple Rain especially But the color featured most predominantly in his lyrics is blue used mostly as a metaphor for sadness (again with the symbolism) mostly. It's not unique to him as a writer but he has used this metaphor with consistency going all the way back to his first album in 1978 with 'So Blue'.

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"A little bit behind the beat, I mean, just enough, to turn, you, on...". (Joy In Repetition) He likes to drag the vocals and sing off the beat. He doesn't do it so often, but it shows up in a song here and there. Others that come to mind are Dorothy Parker, 'June'.

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What's his take on using major and minor chords? Same or diff than other songwriters?

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incorporating middle eastern or arabic influences into his songs, particularly in the early 90s. probably influenced by Mayte's belly dancing vids. Not really trademark, but fairly unique to him as a pop artist at that time.

I'm just glad that he got the "make you bleed" and other "rapey" references out of his system. Beyond that, I'm just enjoying everyone else's feedback to this topic. Good stuff

i always notice when his verse and his chorus have the same melody. It's not often, but it can be on big singles, like When Doves Cry and Love Bizarre. I always wonder if other artists do that. I only seem to notice it with Prince.

I'm thinking... he "breaks" the structure of the song during a few seconds, often in the last part of the song, adding suddenly a new coda or a break (the Word at 3'00 Eerlasting Now 4:50) or a 'disruptive' change by the voice (U make my sunshine at 4'08 / Turn Up at 2:26), the instrumentation (Chelsea Rodgers near 4'50 mark, Love at 4'20) or a synth line (RNR Love Affair at 2'40), before coming back 2 the original structure of the song (or not... xtraloveable at 3'40) ...

either pussy or god ....

screams

Mentioning musical instruments in his songs.