Vocal Music

Vocal music is music that uses and emphasizes the

human voice. Sometimes instruments are used, but the
voice is the most important part. Vocal music is the
opposite of instrumental music, which uses any
combination of instruments, such as strings,
woodwinds, brass, or percussion usually without the
human voice.
People have used voices to make music for thousands
of years, and vocal music is found in cultures around
the globe. It's a fundamental part of human
expression.
TYPES OF MUSIC
 WESTERN VOCAL MUSIC
 NON-WESTERN MUSIC

Western Vocal Music

Western music, the kind with which we're most
familiar, developed in Europe and includes many types
of vocal music. Some of the music is monophonic,
meaning it has a single line of melody. An early
example of monophonic vocal music is Gregorian
chant, dating back to around A.D. 900.
Other Western vocal music is polyphonic, meaning
several melodies are sung at the same time. Another
term you might hear related to vocal music is a
cappella, which means music that uses just human
voices with no instrumental accompaniment. The term
''a cappella'' is Italian, and it means ''in the manner of
the chapel,'' a reference back to early religious music
that was done with voices only.
Some types of Western vocal music are created
specifically for groups of people. These include choral
works, pieces sung by many singers divided into
different voice ranges, such as bass, tenor, alto, and
soprano. Famous European composers like Bach and
Handel wrote large multi-movement choral works.
People who pursue vocal music as a career might also
perform in productions like operas and musicals, in
which stories are told through singing with vocalists
playing different dramatic or comedic roles. Operas
and musicals, by the way, tend to include vocal
performances and instrumental musical elements.

A choir performs choral works.

Western vocal music also includes religious hymns
and gospel tunes, works that have a sacred
connection. Other types of secular or non-
religious vocal music include jazz vocal works and
popular music like funk and rock. Pop songs by
recent stars, such as Beyonce and Lady Gaga, as
well as famous songs done by the Beatles and
Frank Sinatra, are all examples of vocal music.

The vocal sextet Take 6 performs a cappella at the White House.

Non-Western Vocal Music

Vocal music is also found in non-Western cultures
like India, Africa, and China, places with many
ethnic groups that have rich traditions of using
the voice to make music. Some cultures have
vocal styles that sound very unexpected from
what we usually hear because they use different
styles of melodies and harmonies.
In China, much of the vocal music used in folk and
operatic styles is done in a high solo voice. Several
styles of Indian vocal music use the voice to
perform ragas, sung lines using a limited range of
notes in a highly embellished style that might
be improvised, meaning the melody is not
planned out ahead of time. Some African cultures
use voices almost as percussion, creating a very
rhythmic type of sound.