As Motown is a pop-oriented breed of soul music, it makes sense that the Motown sound would include the master of soul, Ray Charles', premier instrument: the piano. This instrument drives many Motown classics and provides melodic touches on songs like The Miracles' "Shop Around," The Velvelettes' "He Was Really Saying Somethin'" and The Isley Brothers' "This Old Heart of Mine." Stevie Wonder made great use of the piano and synthesizers in songs like "For Once In My Life" and "You Are The Sunshine of My Life."
In music, sometimes it's the little things that count. Such is the case with many of the big Motown hits that featured tambourine in their production. The tambourine is a rhythmic instrument characteristic of African music. It featured prominently in gospel, which merged with R&B to create soul. The instrument eventually found its way into Motown recordings such as Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" and The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On."
Much like the pop orchestras created by Phil Spector and his Wall of Sound in the early 1960s, Motown Records used the power of strings and horns in the production of many of its hit singles to build tension and achieve a dramatic effect. Lush string sections feature prominently in Motown hits like Michael Jackson's "Ben," Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye's "It Takes Two," and The Temptations' "My Girl." Bombastic horn arrangements feature in songs like Edwin Starr's "War," Smokey Robinson and The Miracles' "The Tears of a Clown" and The Marvelettes' "Too Many Fish in the Sea."