What are vocals? Pop singing in modern culture Varieties of vocal sound used in academic singing

02.09.2020

Vocal Fundamentals

Pop vocals - pop singing combines many song styles and unites the entire palette of vocal art. Pop vocals, first of all, mean singing from the stage, but the concept of pop vocals is usually associated with light and easy-to-understand music. In pop vocals you can hear both folk motifs and elements of jazz, as well as art songs and elements of rock music. Pop vocals differ from academic vocals in that they have a more open and more natural sound. However, singing skills, correct positioning and support*(“*” - see dictionary of terms) sound are just as necessary in pop vocals as in academic ones.

The main difference between pop vocals and academic and folk vocals lies in the goals and objectives of the vocalist. The fact is that academic and folk singers always work within the framework of a certain canon or regulated sound and it is not accepted for them to deviate from the norm. The task of pop vocals is different - to find your own original sound, your own characteristic, easily recognizable manner of behavior, as well as a stage image. Thus, the main specificity of pop vocals is the search and formation of the vocalist’s own unique voice.

This process is in many ways similar to how pop instrumentalists search for “their sound.” Of course, in order to achieve this goal and find your original style of singing, you need to master a fairly wide range of range* technical techniques. So, for example, in pop vocals, unlike folk and classical, intelligible diction*, since words are one of the significant components of any good song.

Also, a feature of pop singing is that in pop songs you can much more often find phrases that are difficult to sing, which require the performer to quickly change breathing.

Pop vocals combine the techniques of academic vocals and folk singing, as well as a number of specific techniques that are characteristic of pop music. Sometimes many who are just beginning to learn the basics of singing technique, unwittingly, and sometimes consciously, try to imitate their favorite pop performers, blindly copying their style of singing. As practice shows, not everyone benefits from this in the future. Everything here is individual: for some, the birth of a beautiful singing voice will be a happy surprise, while for others it will be the result of long and painstaking work.

Vocals are a type of musical performance, the mastery of a singing voice. Vocals are divided into different types depending on their style, the techniques used, as well as the nature of the interaction between the performers.

Variety of vocal techniques

Depending on how many people and how exactly they participate in the vocal performance of the work, the following types of vocals are divided into:

solo singing (single);
ensemble singing (from two to 10 people, usually performing different parts);
choral singing (from 5-7 to several dozen people, some of whom lead identical parts).

As for the classification of vocals depending on the style and technique of performance, 11 main directions can be distinguished.

Basic Vocal Styles

Classical (academic) singing

Typical for opera and operetta, musicals, romances. The traditions of this direction were laid back in the 16th century - from that time to the present day, classical performance implies a high vocal position and a high dome, the maximum volumetric sound of an impeccably clear voice. Forced sound, noise and wheezing are completely or partially eliminated.

Jazz vocals

As a result of the fusion of colorful African rhythms and musical traditions inherent in European countries, this style appeared at the end of the 19th century in the USA. He is characterized by a rich and strong voice, capable of producing very rich sounds, varying tones, using imitation techniques and maximum improvisation.

Pop singing

This direction is distinguished by its focus on the mass consumer. Hence the lyrics that are clear in meaning without any deep philosophy, a simple and memorable manner of performance, and the use of repeating verses. Today, pop vocals are closely intertwined with other styles - rap, folk, rock, etc.

Folk singing

It is impossible to describe exactly what vocals of this direction are, since each specific manifestation of ethnic singing is something special. However, it can be said that in most cases the genre is characterized by vocal chords and a flat palate.

A separate niche of folk performance includes throat singing, which involves the masterful use of the capabilities of not only the ligaments, but also the throat itself. A striking example is the tradition of throat singing in Irish culture.

Genres of African American culture

Rap. A very rhythmically consistent recitative, which is played to a music track with a heavy beat.
Hip-hop. Combining rap with a DJ-dictated musical rhythm.
Contemporary rhythm and blues (“R&B”). This is a soft and lush performance against the backdrop of smooth electronic rhythms. A significantly more delicate, lyrical genre than previous vocal techniques.
Soul. As the name of the genre suggests (from the English “soul” - soul), this vocal style involves a very heartfelt emotional performance of the compositions. For this purpose, the best techniques of jazz singing and spirituals (spiritual songs of African Americans) are used.

Extreme Vocals

Growling. A very unusual style, which is based on a peculiar imitation of an animal roar. It also requires very strong technical training.
Screaming. An equally striking genre, expressed in a shrill or hoarse scream. It requires a very high tessitura, and therefore is more typical for male vocalists.

The musical art of pop music occupies a special place in modern culture. Pop music today is not just an art form, but also a sociocultural phenomenon. It attracts admirers with its expressiveness, direct connection with movement and rhythm, colorful stage execution, and quite simple, compared to academic singing, content and emotional structure of the works.

Pop vocals are usually defined in their sound as something between academic (or classical) vocals and folk vocals. The main difference between pop vocals and academic and folk vocals lies in the goals and objectives of the vocalist. The fact is that academic and folk singers always work within a certain canon or regulated sound, and for them it is not accepted to deviate from the norm. The task of a pop artist is different - to find his own original sound, his own characteristic, easily recognizable manner of behavior, as well as a stage image. For the same reason, in pop songs there are much more often phrases that are difficult to sing, requiring quick changes in breathing, while in academic and folk songs, the text is often more adapted to the music. Thus, the main specificity of pop vocals is the search and formation of the vocalist’s own unique voice.

This process is in many ways similar to how pop instrumentalists search for “their sound.” Of course, in order to achieve this goal and find your original style of singing, you need to master a fairly wide range of technical techniques. So, for example, in pop vocals, unlike folk and classical, clear diction is important, since words are one of the significant components of any good song.

Also, a feature of pop singing is that in pop songs you can much more often find phrases that are difficult to sing, which require the performer to quickly change breathing.

Everyone uses the conversational style of singing. The folk style of singing is usually called "white sound", "open singing", as opposed to the rounded, covered sound of the voice in the academic manner. Covering up a sound that a person usually does not naturally master allows the singer to obtain a leveled (in terms of timbre and sound strength) two-octave (or more) range of mixed sound with a smooth transition from the chest part of the range to the head. He who knows how to cover will also be able to open. But someone who sings only with an open sound will never be able to cover it.

On the modern stage, singers mostly sing in a half-covered vocal style. When singing half-closed, the position of the lips is close to conversational, but with a raised soft palate. With such singing, the volume of the oropharyngeal cavity increases and a one and a half octave range of the voice is achieved, no longer in a pure chest sound, but in a mixed sound. At the same time, the amplitude of the vibrato of the singer’s voice increases noticeably, the voice ceases to be straight; the timbre becomes “richer”, more colorful and emotional. But in the upper register, with a rich sound, a rattling timbre appears, a “lamb” - a signal of tension in the vocal cords. Covering transitional sounds and the head register during academic voice production leads to the creation of protective mechanisms of the vocal apparatus. Ignoring the closed sound deprives the top notes of their beautiful timbre roundness, and can also lead to premature damage to the voice.

Often unwittingly, and sometimes deliberately, many imitate their favorite pop singers, blindly copying their style of singing. Not everyone benefits from this. The birth of a beautiful singing voice is a happy surprise for some, but for others it is long and painstaking work.

The word vocal comes from the Italian "voce" - voice. But the voice serves only as an instrument, and the art of singing itself is much more complex than sound science alone. It paints us images and reflects emotional states. Singing involves not only sound, but also a meaningful word. Vocals are considered as a technological process of artistic singing. Just as every specialist is armed with knowledge and certain techniques, so a singer must master vocal technique, that is, freely control his voice.

According to the definition of the international association, pop vocals (pop singing) as a movement arose with the advent of urban culture. In the Middle Ages these were motets, cantatas, and later romances. They were distinguished by a simple repeated form (usually a verse), the secular content of the texts (not spiritual themes) and an accessible manner of performance. The main difference between pop music to this day is the simplicity of form and content, accessibility to understanding by the masses.

Today, many different musical styles and trends coexist on the stage: pop music, rock music, folk music, rap, hip-hop, R&B, classic jazz, soul and many, many of their varieties and hybrids. . Each style has its own manner of performance, its own vocal techniques, its own form and figurative content, however, the breathing pattern and voice production are the same for all.

When learning pop vocal singing, thorough work is required. When working with a pop vocal repertoire, you cannot immediately work on dynamics, drama, sound, etc. Everything must happen in stages. This approach ensures high-quality and speedy results. First you need to learn the melody and vocalize it to any convenient vowel. You cannot immediately glue the melody to the words, since you may not achieve the desired result. Along with working on intonation, you need to deal with breathing. It should be remembered that you need to take your breath as often as possible and do not forget about phrasing on the cantilena. The rule is that breathing changes at every pause. At the very beginning of the song, as well as after the loss, you need to take an active breath through your nose. In the remaining cases, active exhalation with a change in breathing is necessary. In the lyrics of a song or in notes, it is very convenient to indicate breathing with ticks.

At the same time, you can start working with text. You need to read it several times and identify difficulties in diction. These passages need to be isolated from the entire text and memorized as tongue twisters. The pace of speaking can be increased to fast. This will provide a margin of safety.

After completing the technical work, you can do creative work. You need to read the entire text as poetry. They will suggest the dramaturgy of the song. This will color the song with lively emotions. After that you can put everything together. The main thing is that in the end not a single component is damaged. This stage is usually a little longer than all previous ones. The song needs to be recorded on a tape recorder and objectively evaluated.

Chapter 1 Conclusions

Chapter 1 is devoted to the issue of defining the concept of musical abilities and their essence.

Musical abilities are understood as a complex of individual psychological abilities of a child, such as a sense of rhythm, a sense of harmony, and an ear for music.

It is noted that in the process of perceiving music, a person makes noticeable or imperceptible movements that correspond to the rhythm and accents. Musical-rhythmic perception is based not only on motor, but also on emotional components. The content of the music is emotional. Rhythm is considered one of the components of the expressive means of music, helping in the perception of the content of music. Thus, musical-rhythmic perception or, as it is called, the sense of rhythm, along with the modal sense, is the basis of the emotional perception of music.

It is also noted that when teaching pop vocal singing, thorough work is required. When working with a pop vocal repertoire, you cannot immediately work on dynamics, drama, sound, etc. Everything must happen in stages. This approach ensures high-quality and speedy results.

What is pop vocals?

Pop vocals - This is a special type of modern vocal art, which, as is clear even from the name, is directly related to the stage. At the same time, let’s say that it has many shades, because it combines many styles and trends, creating a rich palette of images.

Choosing your style.

Among the songs that relate to pop vocals you can see:

Bright jazz compositions.
Songs with folk melodies in modern adaptation.
Author's songs.
Modern chanson.
Rock works

Pop vocal classes involve a huge palette of expressive means. , bright and interesting, allowing not only to demonstrate all the vocalist’s abilities, but also to present any song in the necessary dramatic performance.

A flexible genre that allows you to showcase your voice at its most attractive. . It is no secret that in each new performance the same piece can sound differently, because the framework of pop vocals also accommodates the dramatic talent of the performer.

And yet, despite any abilities of the performer, the most important value in pop vocals is the voice: sound strength, timbre, range - all this affects the final result. Modern equipment technologies make it possible to use a variety of voice effects, phonograms, backing tracks - all this is an integral part of pop vocals.

Many people believe that pop vocals are the younger brother of academic vocals and are of no value. There are even opinions that this is not vocals at all, but something between yard singing with a guitar and rollicking songs at a wedding. But this is what people say who have never encountered real pop vocals: exercises and chants, classes to improve diction and articulation, development of range - all this is fully applicable to pop vocals.

Vocalist (from the Latin words vox - “voice” and vocalis - “sounding”) —

a musical profession associated with singing, that is, the performance of various vocal parts; a member of any vocal-instrumental ensemble in which this participant performs vocal parts.

The term "vocalist" is almost identical to the term "singer", but in modern pop music it is interpreted somewhat more broadly, in particular, implying the possibility of using declamation, recitative, screaming, etc.

A singer is someone who sings, who sings. Performer of vocal music: songs, romances, arias, choirs, singles, etc. A person performing music on an instrument, which is his own voice. The singer is the most common type of vocalist.

Lead vocalist - a member of a musical group who performs primarily the main vocal parts.

Backing vocalist - a member of a musical group who performs additional, harmonic vocal parts (a kind of back-up).

Types of vocal performance.

Depending on how many people and how exactly they participate in the vocal performance of the work, the following types of vocals are divided into:

Solo singing (single);
Ensemble singing (from two to 10 people, usually performing different parts);
Choral singing (from 5-7 to several dozen people, some of whom lead identical parts).

There are various systems for classifying voices (and singers, respectively). Some of them take into account the strength of the voice, that is, how loudly the singer can sing. Others - how mobile, virtuosic, and distinct the singer’s voice is. Still others include non-musical characteristics such as physical appearance, acting ability, etc.

Most often, a classification is used that takes into account the vocal range and gender of the singer. Even guided only by these two criteria, we get many varieties:

soprano - high female voice
mezzo-soprano - average female voice
contralto - a low female voice (in choral music it is usually called simply alto)

tenor - high male voice
baritone - average male voice
bass - low male voice

Other vocal varieties are coloratura soprano, dramatic tenor, bass-baritone, bass profundo. There is even a category of male singers who sing in the range of the female voice. This type of voice is rare, but is still used today, mainly in opera. In Baroque music, many roles were written for castrati—male singers who underwent castration surgery as a boy to prevent mutation and to maintain a high-female voice. In modern vocal performance, these roles can be performed by a singer who has a developed falsetto singing technique. Singers of this type are called countertenors (aka male alto).

Where can I learn to sing? The question is undoubtedly quite general: the fact is that some are interested in, for example, jazz improvisation, while others feel confident enough in karaoke, etc.

Classification of vocals by manner of performance.

Academic vocals (classical, opera).

Academic vocals are the old classical vocal school. Academic singers sing in opera, in academic choirs, chapels, with a symphony orchestra, as well as in the genre of chamber vocal music. Academic vocals differ from pop, jazz and rock vocals in their strictly classical position. Academic vocals do not involve singing into a microphone. In academic vocals, there are certain frameworks developed by experience and the history of vocal music. These frameworks, as a rule, do not allow an academic singer to use his voice in other vocal directions. With experience, an academic singer develops a certain vocal position, thanks to which the voice becomes very strong and acquires a large volume. However, in rare cases, academicians can perform in other vocal genres if they can make the sound easier.

Pop vocals.

Pop vocals - pop singing combines many song styles and unites the entire palette of vocal art. Pop vocals, first of all, mean singing from the stage, but the concept of pop vocals is usually associated with light and easy-to-understand music. In pop vocals you can hear both folk motifs and elements of jazz, as well as art songs and elements of rock music. Pop vocals differ from academic vocals in that they have a more open and more natural sound. However, singing skills, correct positioning and sound support are just as necessary in pop vocals as in academic ones.

Jazz vocals.

Jazz vocals, first of all, imply an ideal sense of rhythm and harmony, as well as vocal mobility and the ability to improvise. In jazz singing, you need to feel the form of the work, be able to present your understanding of the melodic theme, modifying it but without leaving the necessary harmony. Also important is the sensitive partnership of musicians and the ability to improvise on the fly.

Rock vocals.

Rock vocals are usually the singing of a vocalist in a rock band. Rock vocals differ from jazz singing in that they are more emotional. Rock vocals involve more semantic content than vocal ones. However, a rock vocalist needs to have serious vocal training. A rock vocalist must also have courage and complete freedom in an emotional and musical sense.

Folk singing or ethnic singing.

Folk singing, ethnic singing, as follows from the term itself, is singing that has existed since the advent of man, and is distinguished by the characteristic features characteristic of a particular nationality or ethnic group. Echoes of folk tradition can be found both in academic (classical) musical culture and in pop (urban) musical culture. In general, folk singing is characterized by a flat sky and singing with chords.

The so-called throat singing is a type of folk singing, in which the singer, while singing, uses not only the ligaments, but the throat itself, the resonating cavities of the mouth, larynx, due to which the overtones of the fundamental tone become audible.

At the same time, academic vocal production is the basis of everything: it gives freedom of voice control.At the same time, a transition like “jazz to academic” can become a real break for a singer, which is why it is advisable to immediately decide what exactly you want to study.

It is important to understand that it is impossible to teach singing professionally in 2-3 months, even to people with a natural voice and perfect pitch.In the case of academic vocals, the first year you will have to sing only exercises, vocalises (singing without words - “o-o-o” or “a-a-a”) and simple songs.Then you can gradually move on to romances and simple arias. The point is not that the science of singing is based on some technique accessible to a select few. In fact, you can tell how to sing correctly in half an hour, everything else is a matter of training.

Vocal lessons are a story for several years.

In this sense, singing is like a sport. Depending on your natural abilities, it will turn out a little faster or a little slower, but in any case you need hard training.

The most common and most correct form of vocal training is individual lessons with a teacher. (here we are not talking about the ensemble and choir school - this is a whole separate world).

Finding your teacher is quite difficult, and even recommendations do not guarantee anything: here it is also important to get along on a purely human basis, because you will have to spend a lot of time together. There are even more styles of teaching than there are varieties of vocals; one might say that each teacher has his own style.

There is the old academic school, there are former rockers, etc. Of course, they have one thing in common: there are no non-singing singing teachers.The quality of the teacher’s singing does not directly affect the quality of teaching.

Why do you need vocal lessons for children?

Singing lessons for children are more fun than learning. Every child is talented. There are no children who are completely deprived of hearing or sense of rhythm.

Vocal training for preschool and school-age children is not just a way to keep a child busy while he is not attending school or kindergarten:

Thanks to singing lessons, the child learns to understand and feel the beauty of music, learns to appreciate it and becomes involved in the creation of beauty.
Vocals for beginning children form such qualities as a sense of rhythm, hearing, develop the vocal apparatus, improve speech and motor skills.
Vocals for toddlers, older preschoolers, schoolchildren and teenagers develop creative abilities. The child becomes more self-confident, learns to set goals and achieve them, and gains the ability to control himself, his voice, body and emotions.
And a children's vocal studio or school is a great opportunity to expand the social circle of a young singer.

The concept of pop vocals as an independent genre appeared relatively recently. This genre as such arose with the advent of urban culture. What are the features of pop vocals?

There are several features of pop vocals that distinguish it from classical or academic vocals or from folk vocals.

Firstly, talking about the technique of pop vocals is quite difficult, because in pop vocals there are no canons and strict technical frameworks or rules for voice production. The same cannot be said about either . So everything is built on clearly formed techniques and techniques that need to be followed. But pop vocals, in turn, are a symbiosis of different vocal genres: in pop vocals one can find features of different musical vocal genres (although the chants for pop vocals are absolutely no different from the chants of classical singers). There are no restrictions here. On the one hand, this expands the capabilities of the vocalist, on the other hand, it also creates difficulties - after all, it turns out that the pop singer must have an understanding of all techniques in order to have as many opportunities as possible to convey all the musical colors of the work.

Secondly, if in academic and folk music, as we have already said, there are canons and a certain style of singing, then in pop vocals, the performer must find his own individual style, find “his” voice and his own presentation of the material. This is also the difficulty. An entertainer must discover something unique in his performance in order to be interesting and original to listeners.

Thirdly, the very form of works for the stage is very different from classical or folk music. A pop song has a simple musical form, most often a verse. The memorable form and frequently repeated motif are easily and simply perceived by ear and are very popular among wide audiences of listeners.

Another difference between pop music is the style of singing, which is based largely on spoken language, without singing all the words, as is customary in academic singing. There are very fine lines here in mixing different vocal styles, which are often very difficult to perform from a technical point of view. For example, in the bel canto operatic technique there are no frequent sharp leaps and rapid changes in singing registers, which can be found in the pop technique. In order to master this technique so that switching registers is imperceptible, you need to practice just as much, so you should not think that pop vocals are easy.

Thus, we can conclude that, on the one hand, pop vocals seem to be inferior in terms of complexity of mastery and are technically simpler, since they are designed for a more accessible perception for listeners, and at the same time simplicity, on the other hand, this is so the so-called simplicity is only apparent, because the performer must be able to control his voice in the same way as a classical singer, and in the same way must study and master the technique of singing for a long time. And how to use our skills and talent is the choice of each of us, it’s a matter of taste.