Meaning & use
melisma
Last updated
UK/məˈlɪzmə/
US/məˈlɪzmə/
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountable
A way of singing in which one syllable is stretched across several different notes.
Grammar: Can name one passage (a melisma) or the technique itself (melisma).
Patterns
- a melisma on something
- sing melisma
The singer added a long melisma on the final word of the chorus.
Gregorian chant often uses melisma on the word Alleluia.
Some fans love the melisma in her voice, while others find it too showy.
Word forms
| plural | melismas |
|---|---|
| plural (Greek-style) | melismata |
Common combinations
- vocal melisma
- The song is full of vocal melisma.
- elaborate melisma
- She ended the hymn with an elaborate melisma.
- sing a melisma
- It takes breath control to sing a melisma cleanly.
- melisma on a syllable
- The composer wrote a melisma on the syllable glo.
- use melisma
- Many pop singers use melisma to add emotion.
Synonyms and how they differ
- run
- A run is the casual word for a quick series of notes in pop singing, while melisma is the formal term.
- vocalise
- A vocalise is a piece sung with no words, but melisma happens within a word.
- coloratura
- Coloratura refers to very ornate, high operatic passages, while melisma is any one-syllable multi-note stretch.
Opposites
syllabic singing
Word family
- melismatic adjective
- having many notes to a syllable
- melody noun
- a tune
- melismata noun
- plural of melisma
Commonly confused: melisma or melasma?
melisma vs melasma
Melasma is a skin condition with brown patches, unrelated to melisma.
Practice
In a melisma, what happens?
Choose one answer.
Melisma means one syllable stretched over multiple notes. One note per syllable is called syllabic singing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “melisma”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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