Vamp music

In the context of music, a vamp is a short sequence of chords that gets repeated for an extended period. It can be used as a verb, as in “the band vamped while the singer made her way to the stage,” or as a noun, as in “the band played a short vamp while the singer made her way to the stage.”

1. What does it mean to vamp in music?
2. Why is it called a vamp?
3. What is a vamp style?
4. What is a gospel vamp?

What does it mean to vamp in music?

A short passage, which is simple in rhythm and harmony, played in preparation for the entry of a soloist; it is usually repeated ad libitum until the soloist is ready, hence the rubric “vamp till ready.”

Why is it called a vamp?

The word comes from the medieval French avant-pied, literally “before the foot”, in reference to the forepart of the foot, in particular the part of hose or stockings below the ankle. ... This sense of vamp is preserved in the meaning that denotes the part of a boot or shoe that covers the upper front part of the foot.

What is a vamp style?

The term caught fire in 1935, when an edition of Vogue featured Turkish women outlining their eyes into heavy, almond shapes. Women took notice and embraced the “vamp” look — which took the name because of the similarity between the eyes in the glossy pages and the dark-lined eyes of a vampire.

What is a gospel vamp?

This article offers an analytical paradigm that uses the repetitive musical cycle known as “the vamp,” a climactic musical unit central both to the experience of gospel song and to many black Christian liturgies, to illuminate the interrelation of form, experience, and meaning in African American gospel music, focusing ...