Singer

Document Sample

Shared by: zzzmarcus
Categories
Tags
Stats
views:
33
posted:
5/22/2009
language:
English
pages:
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Singer



Singer

Voice Type Female voices Soprano Mezzo-soprano Contralto Male voices Countertenor Tenor Baritone Bass A singer is a person who uses his or her voice to produce music. Often the singer is accompanied by musicians and instruments. While many people sing for pleasure, vocal skill is usually a combination of innate talent and professional training. [1] People who fit the above requirements are referred to as vocalists. A lead singer performs the primary vocals of a song, as opposed to a backing singer who sings backup vocals or harmonies. An exception is five-part gospel a cappella music, where the lead is the highest of the five voices and sings a descant, and not the melody. Professional singers usually undergo voice training, provided by a voice teacher or coach.



Ercole de’ Roberti: Concert, c. 1490 There are also categories for men capable of singing in the female range. This type of voice is rare, but is still used in opera. In Baroque music, many roles were written for castrati, male singers who were castrated as boys to prevent their voices from changing. A male with this kind of singing voice may be a countertenor (suitable for Castrato Alto roles) or a sopranist (suitable for Castrato Soprano roles). Singers are also classified by the style of music they sing, such as soul singers or carnatic vocalists.



Human voice

In European classical music and opera, voices are treated like musical instruments. Composers who write vocal music must have an understanding of the skills, talents, and vocal properties of singers. Singers usually build their careers around certain musical styles. Voice classification systems have evolved to classify singers by tessitura, vocal weight and timbre. Choral singers are classified by vocal range (see also musical range). Other categories are soubrette, heldentenor, coloratura, and basso buffo.



Lead and backing vocalists

In many modern musical groups, there is one singer that is singing the main parts (the lead vocalist) and one or more to perform backing vocals. Backing vocalists sing some, but usually not all, parts of the song. They often provide a harmony to the lead, or just sing



1



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

along in the background. refrain or hum in the • • • • • • • • • • • • Human Voice Chanson Fach Humming Rapping Death growl Beat Boxing List of female rock singers Singer-songwriter Category:Singers Screaming (music) Lead vocalist



Singer



References

[1] Page 26, Yehudi Menuhin Music Guides – Voice, Edited by Sir Keith Falkner, ISBN 0-356-09099-X



See also

• Singing



Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singer" Categories: Occupations in music, Singing, Singers This page was last modified on 11 May 2009, at 15:48 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers



2




Share This Document



Related docs
Other docs by zzzmarcus
Panoramic
Views: 73  |  Downloads: 2
2001_United_Kingdom_foot-and-mouth_crisis
Views: 0  |  Downloads: 0
Salem_College
Views: 12  |  Downloads: 0
Dorothy_Talbye_Trial
Views: 13  |  Downloads: 0
Territory_of_Papua_and_New_Guinea
Views: 7  |  Downloads: 0
Spot_rate
Views: 13  |  Downloads: 1
Cepaea_nemoralis
Views: 4  |  Downloads: 1
Cameron_Crowe
Views: 51  |  Downloads: 0
Boston
Views: 146  |  Downloads: 0
Missouri_National_Recreational_River
Views: 0  |  Downloads: 0
by registering with docstoc.com you agree to our
privacy policy

You are almost ready to download!

You are almost ready to download!