that "idol" female sound: "melisma"

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/20/04 at 9:01am

Orion brought this up in the Idol thread, but it's a separate topic worth posting on:

I've had it with that increasingly self-indulgent style, too. That sound -- which I called vowel-extending -- isn't it, rather than a jazz riff (which has more variety, and imports much more soul, specifically with such brilliant artists as Etta and Nina), "melisma"? Jon Pareles, rock critic of the NY Times did a long piece on the overuse of melisma last fall, tracing it back to the Whitney/Mariah technique. ("A group of notes or tones sung on one syllable ... melodic embellishment or ornamentation...") For me, it's far more Mariah than Whitney. The first time I found it annoying was that constantly played "Vision of Love," late 80s or early 90s. And I'm REAL tired of it. "Ornamentation" is in the ear of the beholder.

It makes every song have the same emotional weight, which in turn makes every female singer who employs it have the same emotional POV on every song. It has taken over pop music, and unless a singer is really adept, it just attenuates a melodic line. To no end.

It disturbed me to see the 3 judges so quick to embrace someone who employs it in a borrowed, neutral way. It's overtaken the pop sound, used by men, too, and I don't see that it's done much for the music they sing.

Updated On: 1/20/04 at 09:01 AM

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 1/20/04 at 9:08am

Auggie, you MUST remember - the NY Times did an entire article on melisma masturbation in pop music a few months ago.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 1/20/04 at 9:13am

Why the hell is Rolling Stone magazine covering bubble gum pop in the first place?

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 1/20/04 at 9:22am

Ooops..my bad. You mention the Pareles article in your post(hanging head in shame, pouts).

Anyway, at least I got to type "melisma masturbation'!

[orion59]

Posted: 1/20/04 at 9:24am

I guess this has become so popular because people think it creates a soulful, emotional sound. It actually does when it's done right and not used in every song. If you listen to singers who have studied jazz, grew up with soul and/or gospel music, you can hear the technique used properly and will notice the difference between the style of the old jazz/blues singers or some of the contemporay jazz/R&B singers and the wave of singers trying to employ this style without understanding it's roots or it's correct usage in music.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/20/04 at 9:30am

'Twas worth it, to get the masturbation (!) out of it.

And that's what it sounds like, exactly. It's of course a legit singing technique; the problem stems from it's ubiquitous usage. Every song is FLATTENED in the process. What's intended to add excitment and vocal variety has the opposite effect.

Anyone have the PRINCE OF EGYPT soundtrack? Listen to "When You Believe," as performed in the film (by Michelle Pfeiffer, no less.) Then listen to the cover duet of it by Whitney and Mariah. Ugh. A pretty llittle song is turned into a long happy hour at TGI Fridays. To take Master's sexual metaphor in a different direction, it sounds like both women are ... going down on the vowels.