Bernhoft - C'mon Talk

Melisma Melisma (Greek: μέλισμα, melisma, song, air, melody; from μέλος, melos, song, melody), plural melismata, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic, in which each syllable of text is matched to a single note. History[edit] General[edit] In Western music, the term melisma most commonly refers to Gregorian chant. Today, melisma is commonly used in Arab, Middle Eastern, African, Balkan, and African-American music, Fado (Portuguese), Flamenco (Spanish), and various Asian folk and popular musical genres. Prevalence in popular music (mid 1980s to late 2000s)[edit] The use of melisma is a common feature of artists such as Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé Knowles, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Nelly Furtado and Jessie J among others.[4][5] Recent backlash (late 2000s-early 2010s)[edit] Examples[edit] Play See also[edit]