For some songs lyrics are the focal point, they narrate the story the artist/band is trying to narrate. Not all, but for most artists “lyrics will be loaded with feeling and emotion drawn from particular emotional experiences”(Watson, A. and Ward, J. (2013)). I muse that this is an effective way to relate to an audience as most people associate with lyrics they can draw a parallel with.
For some songs lyrics are the focal point, they narrate the story the artist/band is trying to narrate. Not all, but for most artists “lyrics will be loaded with feeling and emotion drawn from particular emotional experiences”(Watson, A. and Ward, J. (2013)). I muse that this is an effective way to relate to an audience as most people associate with lyrics they can draw a parallel with.
Probably the most relatable and most common subject for lyrical content is love. Gross I know. At some point in your life you’ll find yourself having a burning desire for another human. For some, chasing that person ends in a happily ever after fairy tale story, where they get to value and appreciate their partner whilst running off into the sunset.
For others (most) it ends in heartbreak, jealousy or betrayal where that fervour, that love turns into envy, hostility and aggression. This is another highly favorable topic for lyrical content.
Other topics prompts can range from: cheating, senary, loss of a loved one, politically based or even about random stuff like chicken nuggets…
or seagulls.
Anyway back on topic. Lyrics don’t have to be based on real experiences; it can be a made up story, a poem or even a keyword picked from a hat or random word generator. Picking keywords like ashamed, nervous, joyful, sad or happy can often help stem off ideas for lyrical content.
To create an atmosphere for a song producers will ask for ‘a believable and emotive performance from a recording artist, particularly with vocal performances, it is often necessary to get them into a particular emotional state’ (Watson, A. and Ward, J. (2013)). Without vocal expression it may be hard for the audience to determine an artist’s actual emotive tone. For example a sad song would potentially be characterised by the absence of vibrato (O'Connor, K. (2008)), breathiness and use of creaking (Complete Vocal Institute. (2020)). Whereas, “anger could be expressed with much louder dynamics, whereas a more peaceful and relaxed song needs a quieter dynamic to reflect that.” (Thakrar, K. (2018)).For a song vocal expression is crucial as “Music, like odours, seems to be a very powerful cue in bringing emotional experiences from memory back into awareness.” (Juslin, P.N. & Sloboda, J.A. (ed.) (2001)). Most people repeat songs as they often link them to personal memories and for that to happen the vocalist needs to be in role using techniques to enhance the listeners emotional experience.
Different vocal techniques:
Creaking = “Creak can be produced in a healthy way by preparing for a metallic mode but then reducing the volume, so that the metallic sound cannot be sustained, resulting in a creaking, frail and shaky sound.”
Useful link: https://completevocal.institute/creak-and-creaking/
Vibrato = Is where the voice alternates subtly and very quickly between two pitches that are very close together.
Controlling dynamics:
Balanced dynamics
Varying dynamics, “varying the volume and tone of your voice in your performance, you can draw people in and lock in their attention.” Thakrar, K. (2018)
Loud dynamics = anger could be expressed with loud dynamics.
Quiet dynamics = “a more peaceful and relaxed song needs a quieter dynamic” Thakrar, K. (2018)
Screaming = Is heard often used in ‘angry’ genres such as metal, and it’s subgenres.
Useful link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYQIZ4Qr9Ys
Diction = clarity of your enunciation when you’re singing.
“Speak” singing = Often used by rappers.
I muse that the most effective way to relate to an audience is through personal experiences, popular topics such as love and making it believable. This is because most people associate with lyrics that they can draw a parallel with. However, using different interesting topics can make a song entertaining and unique, that in itself makes it different. It’s all about the story and emotion you want to tell.
Bibliography:
Juslin, P.N. & Sloboda, J.A. (ed.) (2001) Music and emotion: theory and research. Oxford ; New York :Oxford University Press. [Accessed 23 April. 2020].
Tronhjem, C. (2019). Sounding Emotional: How Timbre Choices Affect Emotion in Music. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/the-sound-of-ai/sounding-emotional-how-timbre-choices-affect-emotion-in-music-27cbcf70f759 [Accessed 23 April. 2020].
Watson, A. and Ward, J. (2013). Creating the Right ‘Vibe’: Emotional Labour and Musical Performance in the Recording Studio. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 45(12), pp.2904-2918. [Accessed 23 April. 2020].
Thakrar, K. (2018). How To Sing With Emotion | 11 Ways Singers Add Feeling & Expression. [online] Open Mic UK. Available at: https://www.openmicuk.co.uk/advice/singing-with-emotion/ [Accessed 23 April. 2020].
O'Connor, K. (2008). Singwise - Singwise - Vibrato: What It Is and How to Develop It. [online] Singwise.com. Available at: http://www.singwise.com/cgi-bin/main.pl?section=articles&doc=Vibrato [Accessed 23 April. 2020].
Complete Vocal Institute. (2020). Creak and creaking. [online] Available at: https://completevocal.institute/creak-and-creaking/ [Accessed 23 April. 2020].
Zentner, M. (1998). [online] Brainmusic.org. Available at: http://www.brainmusic.org/MBB91%20Webpage/Evolution_Zentner.pdf [Accessed 23 April. 2020].