What does melisma mean wrt to melody (?).
It’s a singing technique where one syllable is sung while moving between various notes. Think of typical soul / R&B / gospel singers or certain African or Middle Eastern musical traditions.
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I’m not understanding it. Sorry.
It’s such a common thing, that it seems weird to have a name. But in past times it was not so common.
The opposite of melisma is this: each syllable of the lyrics is given one, and only one, melody note.
When you stretch out a syllable over more than 1 note, that is melisma. Sam Cooke’s “Whoa…” is a flashy example:
Cooke was known for his melisma.
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Think of this style of singing
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Got it!
Melisma is when you sing multiple notes on a single syllable of a word—it’s that smooth, flowing style you hear in gospel, R&B, and a lot of classical music. Think of how Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston glide through a bunch of notes on one word—that’s melisma in action! It adds expressiveness and can make a melody feel more emotional or intricate.