What Do You Call Singing Without Words?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around identifying a term for singing that involves syllables without meaning, focusing on aesthetic qualities rather than lyrical content. Participants explore various terms and concepts related to this form of vocalization, including specific genres and styles.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest "scat singing" as a close description for singing with non-lexical syllables.
  • Another participant proposes "non-lexical vocables" as an umbrella term, mentioning specific genres like Doo-Wop and examples from Disney.
  • One participant notes that Morrissey's style in a linked song is more akin to yodeling, indicating a lack of a universal term for all forms of meaningless singing.
  • Another participant introduces the idea of "vocal improvisation," where the voice mimics musical instruments.
  • Several participants express surprise at the absence of a more colloquial term for this type of singing.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple competing views on the terminology, with no consensus on a single term that encompasses all forms of singing without words.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes references to specific genres and examples, but there is no resolution on a definitive term that covers all instances of non-lexical singing.

dipole
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When a singer is performing a song, and they're singing syllables which are not words or have any meaning, but only have some aesthetic quality.

For example, "la la la" or here in this song from about 2:25-2:50



What is the term or word for this?
 
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dipole said:
When a singer is performing a song, and they're singing syllables which are not words or have any meaning, but only have some aesthetic quality.

For example, "la la la" or here in this song from about 2:25-2:50



What is the term or word for this?

Scat singing is perhaps the closest description?
 
Hi! Maybe there is another more modern term, I'm not sure/don't remember, but otherwise there is something called "scat singing":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scat_singing

(EDIT: Another post just before mine about it, I was a couple of seconds late...))
 
Couldn't resist posting this clip: :)
 
Morrissey isn't scat singing in the linked song. What he's doing is closer to yodeling, though it isn't all that way over into yodeling.

I can't think of any blanket term that covers all singing of meaningless sounds.
 
dipole said:
What is the term or word for this?

"Non-lexical vocables" is the umbrella term. There are specific terms for different genres, such as 'scat' in jazz already mentioned. Doo-Wop (Sha-Na-Na, "Get a Job"), blurred lyrics ("Mairzy Doats"), and nonsense (Disney's done quite a few, "Zip-a-dee-Doo-Dah", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" et al.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-lexical_vocables_in_music
 
Ha, well that's about as straight forward as it gets. I'm surprised there's not a more colloquial term though.
 
dipole said:
When a singer is performing a song, and they're singing syllables which are not words or have any meaning, but only have some aesthetic quality.

For example, "la la la" or here in this song from about 2:25-2:50



What is the term or word for this?


It referred to as 'vocal improvisation', where the voice is manipulated to act as another musical instrument:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scat_singing
 

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