From Covers to Classics: Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through Motown
Stevie Wonder is one of those musicians that most practising musicians encounter at some point—and when you really start studying his music, it can be a life-changing experience.
His groove seems effortless. His melodies are extraordinary. And as a songwriter, keyboardist, harmonica player and vocalist, he somehow managed to make incredibly sophisticated music sound completely natural.
But Stevie Wonder didn’t start out as the musical genius we know today. He started as Little Stevie Wonder.
Little Stevie Wonder
Stevie was discovered in Detroit as a child, where his extraordinary ability on harmonica quickly attracted attention. He was signed to Berry Gordy’s Motown and released his first two albums in 1962: The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie and Tribute to Uncle Ray.
The second title tells you something important about where Stevie’s musical education was coming from. His hero was Ray Charles, and Stevie was already learning by absorbing the music of the great performers around him.
Then came The 12 Year Old Genius. The title wasn’t exactly subtle. But when you hear what Stevie was doing at that age, it was difficult to argue with.
The album contained Fingertips, the live recording that became his first major hit. It also reflected Stevie’s early role at Motown: he was primarily an interpreter.
Songs such as Hallelujah I Love Her So and Drown in My Own Tears were covers. And the pattern continued.
Stevie recorded Smile, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Get Happy, When You Wish Upon a Star and Blowin’ in the Wind.
At this stage, Stevie Wonder was already a remarkable musician—but he wasn’t yet the Stevie Wonder who would go on to write Superstition, Higher Ground and Sir Duke.
He was still learning. And there’s a lesson there for all of us. Before becoming a great songwriter, Stevie became an extraordinary musician.
Stevie Wonder and the Motown Songbook
Stevie’s early albums are fascinating because of just how many different writers and styles he was willing to absorb.
He could sing a Ray Charles song, a Broadway standard, a folk song or a Motown composition and make it sound like Stevie Wonder. That ability to interpret a song is easy to underestimate.
For a working guitarist, it’s one of the most valuable skills you can develop. You don’t always need to write the song. You need to understand it.
You need to know what makes the melody work, where the groove sits, how the chords move and what you can add without getting in the way. Stevie was becoming a master of all of this before he had even reached adulthood.
Uptight: Stevie Starts Writing His Own Story
The big shift came in 1965 with Uptight (Everything’s Alright). This was one of Stevie’s first major self-penned hits and marked the beginning of a gradual transformation.
He was no longer simply the extraordinary young musician Motown could put in front of other people’s songs. He was becoming a songwriter.
The following year, Up-tight the album arrived as well as another single, A Place in the Sun, written specifically for Stevie by Ronald Miller and Bryan Wells. And that distinction is important.
Even when Stevie wasn’t writing the song himself, he was becoming increasingly involved in songs that were being shaped around his particular voice and musical personality.
Respect, My Girl and Can I Get a Witness
By 1967, Stevie had already released seven studio albums. Seven! And his catalogue still contained a remarkable number of covers and co-writes.
His album I Was Made to Love Her included Stevie’s title track alongside his versions of Respect, My Girl and Can I Get a Witness.
This is one of the things I find most interesting about Stevie’s development. We tend to remember him as the writer of his own masterpieces, but his education was happening in public.
He was taking great songs, learning them, rearranging them and performing them. In many ways, he was building his musical vocabulary one cover at a time. And that is exactly how most musicians learn.
For Once in My Life: The Beginning of the Golden Era
Stevie’s next couple of releases included a Christmas album and an instrumental album before For Once in My Life arrived.
The title track was written by Ronald Miller and originally released as a slow ballad in 1965. Stevie transformed it.
His version is faster, more energetic and completely different in character from the earlier recording. It became the definitive version for many listeners.
The album also featured Sunny and God Bless the Child, a song strongly associated with Billie Holiday.
For Once in My Life is also one of those songs that separates a musician who can play chords from a musician who really understands harmony.
I once played a gig with a keyboard player who hadn’t touched the song in years—if ever. He was an exceptional reader and a master of jazz improvisation.
When we reached the solo, which modulates from F to Gb, he read the entire thing flawlessly. No sight-reading course alone prepares you for something like that. It takes years of gigging, reading, improvising and becoming completely comfortable with your instrument.
The journey starts much more simply, though. First, learn the chords. Then understand the progression as Roman numerals. Then play it live. Again and again.
Eventually, you start to see why this apparently straightforward pop song requires a serious piece of musicianship.
My Cherie Amour and the Final Years of Stevie’s Apprenticeship
In 1969, the hits continued with Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday and My Cherie Amour. The album also included Stevie’s versions of At Last and Light My Fire.
Again, we’re looking at an artist who is still recording plenty of other people’s material. Then, in 1970, came Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).
This was a major turning point. It was one of Stevie’s first major hits as a co-writer, and he also produced it. The song became a fixture of working-band repertoires, and musicians have been covering it ever since.
The list of artists who have recorded versions includes The Osmonds, Blue, Angie Stone, Ronan Keating, Chaka Khan, Craig David, Michael Bolton, Rufus Wainwright and Justin Timberlake, anmd let’s not forget all the Soul band that play this every weekend all over the world!
That’s an important part of Stevie’s legacy. His songs don’t just belong to his records. They belong to musicians.
Almost a Decade In… Still Mostly Covers
There’s a slightly amusing lesson hidden in Stevie’s early career. After almost a decade and around fifteen albums, he was still recording a huge amount of material written by other people.
He released versions of Everybody’s Talkin’ by Fred Neil and Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel.
Then came Where I’m Coming From in 1971. For the first time, Stevie released an album made up entirely of his own original songs.
There were no major hits. But that didn’t matter. The breakthrough was artistic rather than commercial. Stevie was finally establishing himself on his own terms.
Talking Book: Everything Changes
In 1972, Stevie signed a new deal with Motown that gave him much greater artistic control. Music of My Mind followed. Still no huge hits. Then came Talking Book. Suddenly, everything changed.
The album gave us Superstition, You Are the Sunshine of My Life and I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever).
And if anybody was still wondering whether Little Stevie Wonder had become a serious songwriter, the argument was over.
Superstition is one of those songs that every working guitarist eventually encounters. The riff is instantly recognisable, but the real challenge is learning the song properly rather than simply approximating the chords.
You need to be able to play the vocal melody and solo over both sections. The groove is the point. And despite the countless covers, surprisingly few guitarists reproduce the original recording exactly.
Superstition isn’t just a song to tick off your repertoire list. It’s a benchmark. If you’re serious about playing soul, funk or Motown, you need to know it.
Innervisions: Stevie Becomes Untouchable
If Talking Book announced Stevie’s arrival as a fully independent artist, Innervisions confirmed it.
Released in 1973, the album included:
- Too High
- Living for the City
- Golden Lady
- Higher Ground
- All in Love Is Fair
- Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing
- He’s Misstra Know-It-All
That’s an absurd collection of legendary tunes for one album.
Higher Ground
Higher Ground is remarkable because Stevie wrote and recorded it, playing all the instruments, in just three hours. It certainly took me longer to learn it!
The tune became a major hit and later inspired an equally famous cover by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. For a guitarist, Higher Ground is another example of why Stevie’s music is worth studying rather than simply listening to.
The rhythm is demanding. The harmony is interesting. And the whole thing has a physical groove that you can’t fake.
All in Love Is Fair
All in Love Is Fair is almost the opposite of Higher Ground. It isn’t a party or wedding-band tune. It’s too emotional. But that’s precisely why it’s useful.
On a jazz gig, the song can become a beautiful vehicle for melody improvisation over its chord progression. It’s also a fantastic audition or personal-performance piece if you want to demonstrate that you can do something other than groove.
Stevie’s catalogue isn’t just about funk. It’s about harmony, melody, rhythm and emotion.
Songs in the Key of Life
After another album in 1974, Stevie returned in 1976 with Songs in the Key of Life. And what an album!
Four songs that alone would make most musicians extremely proud.
Put them together on one album and you start to understand the extraordinary run Stevie was having.
I Wish
I Wish is one of those tunes that every Motown or soul band should have somewhere in its repertoire. The groove is immediately recognisable, but again, it’s the interaction between the instruments that makes it work.
The guitar has to sit inside the rhythm section. Don’t fight the bass. Don’t fight the drums. Don’t fill every gap. Find the pocket.
Sir Duke
Sir Duke is Stevie’s tribute to Duke Ellington and the great jazz musicians who influenced him, including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Glenn Miller.
It’s essentially Stevie saying thank you to his musical heroes. And it’s another great example of how he turned his influences into something completely personal.
The instrumental section is also a fantastic test of your major blues-scale knowledge. If Master Blaster challenges your minor pentatonic playing, Sir Duke gives you another set of pentatonics to work on – the major pentatonic.
Isn’t She Lovely
Isn’t She Lovely is one of Stevie’s most recognisable songs. It was written to celebrate the birth of his daughter, Aisha, and the recording includes her playful sounds from when she was a baby.
Stevie produced the track and played almost all the instruments himself, with additional contributions from keyboardist Greg Phillinganes.
It wasn’t originally released as a conventional single, but the song gradually became a standard through radio play and word of mouth. It’s now instantly recognisable.
That’s another interesting lesson in songwriting: A song doesn’t necessarily need to be designed as a hit to become one.
Hotter Than July
In 1980, Stevie released Hotter Than July. And once again, there were songs that became essential repertoire.
- Master Blaster (Jammin’)
- Happy Birthday
- Lately
Master Blaster (Jammin’)
Master Blaster is Stevie’s tribute to Bob Marley. The two musicians had met at a benefit concert for the Jamaican Institute for the Blind in 1975, where they performed together. Stevie later turned his admiration for Marley into Master Blaster.
It’s also a serious guitar lesson. The two instrumental sections give you plenty of opportunity to work on minor pentatonic playing, and for a professional soul guitarist, knowing this tune properly is extremely useful.
It’s another example of Stevie taking inspiration from another musician and transforming it into something that sounds completely like him.
Stevie’s Musical Heroes
One of the most interesting things about Stevie Wonder’s career is how openly he celebrates his influences.
He learned from Ray Charles. He recorded Sam Cooke. He covered The Beatles. He played songs associated with Billie Holiday. He recorded Blowin’ in the Wind. He recorded At Last. He recorded Sunny. He recorded Everybody’s Talkin’. He recorded My Girl. He recorded Respect. He recorded Can I Get a Witness.
And he turned all of this musical education into his own language. That’s something I think every guitarist should pay attention to.
If you want to develop your own sound, study other people’s music deeply. Don’t just learn your favourite Stevie Wonder riff. Learn the songs that Stevie Wonder himself was listening to.
From Interpreter to Musical Genius
This is what makes Stevie Wonder’s story so interesting.
He began his career largely as an interpreter. He learned from Ray Charles. He recorded other people’s songs. He worked within the Motown system. He absorbed soul, gospel, jazz, pop, blues and R&B.
Then gradually, he became one of the most original musicians of his generation. The progression is almost a musical education in itself: Learn the songs → understand the musicians → develop your own voice → write your own songs → take control.
Stevie did exactly that.
Stevie Wonder and the Working Guitarist
There are certain Stevie Wonder songs that I would consider milestones for any serious working musician.
For Once in My Life tests your harmonic understanding. Superstition tests your groove and funk playing. Higher Ground tests your rhythm and coordination. I Wish is essential Motown repertoire. Sir Duke tests your melodic and blues vocabulary.
Isn’t She Lovely gives you another kind of groove and arrangement. Master Blaster brings reggae into the picture.
And then you have Signed, Sealed, Delivered, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Living for the City, Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing, As, Lately and countless others.
This is why Stevie Wonder is such a rich source of material for guitarists. You don’t learn one Stevie song. You can spend years studying his catalogue and still find something new.
Stevie Wonder: From Covers to Classics
There’s a beautiful irony in Stevie Wonder’s story. He started out recording other people’s songs. Then he became the person whose songs everybody else wanted to cover. That’s quite a journey.
The young Little Stevie Wonder recorded Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, The Beatles and countless other writers.
The mature Stevie Wonder gave the world Superstition, Higher Ground, I Wish, Sir Duke, Isn’t She Lovely, Master Blaster and Signed, Sealed, Delivered—songs that became standards for generations of musicians.
And that might be the biggest lesson of all. Don’t worry if you’re still learning other people’s songs. That’s how you build your musical vocabulary.
Learn the chords. Learn the groove. Learn the melody. Learn why the song works. Then learn another one. And another. Eventually, all those songs become part of you. That’s exactly what happened to Stevie Wonder.
He went from Little Stevie, the extraordinary young interpreter, to Stevie Wonder, the songwriter and musician whose songs became part of the world’s musical vocabulary.
For a guitarist, there may be no better catalogue to study.
Stevie Wonder Tunes | Related Pages
All In Love Is Fair | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play All In Love Is Fair by Stevie Wonder using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| C#madd9 | C#madd9/B | A#m7add4 |
All is fair in love, love’s a crazy game…
At Last | Chords + TAB
You can learn At Last by Etta James using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| F | Dm7 | Gm7 | C7 | F | Dm7 |
At last, my love has come along…
Blowin’ In The Wind | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Blowin’ In The Wind by Bob Dylan using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| G C G/B | D/A D G | G C G/B | G |
How many years can a mountain exist, before it’s washed to the sea…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Blowin’ In The Wind – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Can I Get A Witness | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Can I Get A Witness by Marvin Gaye using chords, lyrics, a backing track, a chord chart, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| Eb Ab | Db Ab | Eb Ab | Db Ab |
Ah listen, everybody, especially you girls…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Can I Get A Witness – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Everybody’s Talkin’ | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Everybody’s Talkin’ by Harry Nilsson using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Cmaj7 G6 | Cmaj7 G6 |
Everybody’s talkin’ at me…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Everybody’s Talkin’ (Harry Nilsson) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
For Once In My Life | Chords + TAB
You can learn For Once In My Life by Stevie Wonder using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| F Faug | F6 D7b9/F# |
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me…
Higher Ground | Chords + TAB
You can learn Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
||: Eb7 Gb6 Ab7 | Eb7 Gb6 Ab7 :||
People, keep on learnin’. Soldiers, keep on warnin’…
I Wish | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play I Wish by Stevie Wonder using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, backing tracks and an acoustic arrangement.
| Emb7 Ab | Ebm7 Ab |
Looking back on when I was a little nappy-headed boy…
Isn’t She Lovely | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| C#m7 | F#9 | B11 | E6 |
Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderful…
Master Blaster (Jammin’) | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Master Blaster by Stevie Wonder using chords, lyrics, a backing track, a chord chart, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| Cm | Cm Bb | Ab | Ab G |
Everyone’s feeling pretty, it’s hotter than July…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Master Blaster – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
My Girl | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play My Girl by The Temptations using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| C | F | C | F |
I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: My Girl (The Temptations) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Respect | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Respect by Aretha Franklin using chords, lyrics, a backing track, a chord chart, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| G7 | F7 |
(Oh) What you want, (Oh) Baby, I got it…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Respect – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) | Chords + TAB
Learn to play Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Stevie Wonder using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| F | Dm |
Like a fool, I went and stayed too long…
Sir Duke | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| B | G#m | G | F#7 |
Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand…
Sunny | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Sunny by Bobby Hebb using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| Em7 | G9 | Cmaj7 | F#m7b5 B7 |
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain…
Superstition | Chords + TAB
You can learn Superstition by Stevie Wonder using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| Ebm7 (Ab7/Eb) | Ebm7 (Ab7/Eb) |
Very superstitious…
Stevie Wonder on the web
