Melisma is a singing style in which more than one note is sung to a single syllable of text. Melismatic singing is the term used to describe a singer who employs this technique. Syllabic singing, in contrast to melisma, is a style of singing that uses one note for each syllable of a word. From American patriotic hymns like “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” and holiday carols to popular radio hits spanning many genres and decades, this technique can be found in a wide range of songs. Melisma can be written in notation or performed improvised the singer.
Although most people associate melisma with the long vocal acrobatics many singers perform when performing standard songs, it can also be a simple composition technique used to create a song’s basic melody. It is frequently used in music composition to convey strong emotion or to draw attention to a word in the lyrics. It can be found in a variety of genres, including vocal classical music, soul, rock, and pop. Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, and Christina Aguilera are three well-known female singers who are known for their mastery of melisma. Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, and Maynard James Keenan are examples of male singers.
It’s easy to overlook melisma when it’s used correctly. To detect subtle, simple melisma, say a word from the lyric without singing the notes, then count the notes sung during that word. The sung word contains melisma if the spoken word has fewer syllables than the notes to be sung. The note change can sometimes appear so natural within the word that identifying it requires a keen ear. When writing melisma, dashes are frequently used to divide the word so that the spoken sound matches the written notes. The number of notes that can be used in a single syllable is entirely up to the composer or performer’s discretion.
Melisma is a historical composition and singing technique that has been used for hundreds of years, despite its appearance in popular music. This style of singing is thought to have originated in the 1500s with liturgical hymns and Gregorian chant, but it was popularized in the United States African-American church singers. It has been used in a wide range of musical genres around the world, and is particularly prominent in a type of Indian classical music known as raga, which influences the melodic technique used in Indian popular music in general.