Question

A/an ________ is a highly stylized vocal device used by gospel singers as an embellishment that involved sliding around the notes both above and below the melody note, thereby dramatically delaying that not, and then finally resolving it.

Answer 1

A melisma is a vocal technique used in gospel music that embellishes a melody by extending a syllable over multiple notes. This technique is rooted in African American spirituals, blending West African and European musical traditions and is a pivotal contribution to the development of genres like the blues.

Step-by-step explanation:

A melisma is a highly stylized vocal device used by gospel singers as an embellishment. It involves a technique where the singer extends a single syllable of text by moving between different notes in succession, creating a fluid and often emotional musical effect. This ornamentation can be heard in the singing of spirituals, where the melody is both elaborately and passionately expressed, as well as in the lining out of hymns and psalms. This practice demonstrates a way of blending West African musical traditions, particularly evident in the use of call-and-response forms, syncopated rhythms, and body movements, with European forms of singing to create a unique African American musical expression that laid the groundwork for future genres like the blues.

One notable example includes the development of the 'long meter' hymns and the method of 'lining out,' where a leader sings a line of a hymn and the congregation follows in an elaborate and collective stylization. The use of melisma in African American spirituals reflects both a religious tradition as well as cultural identity, and has had a significant influence on the development of American music.