Meaning & use
melisma
(Music) The singing of a single syllable of text while moving through several different musical notes in succession.
See it in a sentence
The singer's dramatic melisma on the final note earned loud applause.
Gospel and R&B music often feature elaborate melisma during emotional passages.
A note on using this word
Melisma is a specific vocal technique, distinct from simply singing one note per syllable, which is called syllabic singing.
Words with a similar meaning
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