Topmusicanswers
Melisma is the musical art of creating a run of many notes from one syllable. In the United States, singers in the African-American church popularized the vocal practice, which dates to Gregorian chants and Indian ragas.
What does melisma mean?
1 : a group of notes or tones sung on one syllable in plainsong. 2 : melodic embellishment.
What is an example of melisma?
When a vocalist sings different notes over one syllable it is called melisma, it is very easy to identify. One great example of melismatic singing is this scene from the classic sci-fi movie The Fifth Element.
Is melisma a melody?
Melisma (Greek: μέλισμα, melisma, song, air, melody; from μέλος, melos, song, melody, plural: melismata) is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. ... An informal term for melisma is a vocal run.
