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Vocal melodies: Just as important as the instrumentation?


Vincent Vega

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Does anyone else feel that the melody created by vocals in the song (the lyrics don't matter, just the vocal melody in general) can be just as important to a song as the instruments behind it? I tend to think both are equally important. You can have a really pretty or awesome instrumental that really doesn't go anywhere without vocal melodies helping give it direction. Take most of The Doors' work for instance. Great musically, but without Jim's vocals and vocal melodies, not nearly as great.

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A lot more important imo. It's the first thing I hear when I listen to a song, oftentimes the only thing. I can easily listen to and enjoy a song with good vocals and bad instrumentation but not the other way around. I usually only notice the instruments when the singer is quiet.

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It's going to depend on what the group's known for. I think The Beatles as songwriters is undisputed, but the harmonies are a big part of why people like them.

Morrison delivered the songs, he was a fairly good crooner, but I don't think he was that "great" of a singer. But the way he delivered the songs, and what he was writing about - that's why he mattered. I also think he's a great frontman like Freddie in that they didn't always want to be spotlight whores and encouraged everyone to contribute a song. It was a full on democracy when it came to the studio. They and Van Halen had enough songs before either had a recording contract for 3 albums.

Van Halen - Mike Anthony completely overlooked in the harmonies in that band. Enough of an issue for fans to still have a problem with him not being in the band.

Like they said about "LA Woman", he intentionally sat lower than the other Doors. He HATED "Jim Morrison and The Doors".

Elton John's knack for taking anyone's words and composing melody to it, is why he had all those hits. Elton and Paul could compose a song in minutes. Prince could come up with an entire album in one day.

It might not be a great song, but to just wing it and come up with a song that fast? As McCartney told U2, he could write 3 songs in one day, maybe John would tweak it a bit, but they'd be finished songs in one day, complete with harmonies. But I also think what goes around in one's head also leads to all that coming out.

Bob Dylan - not a great singer, but to be able to compose as many songs as he did, the level of lyric writing he did, and the melodies he also came up with, can't be discounted. Those songs from 63-66 are being covered by someone, somewhere every month, maybe every day.

And of course The Beach Boys & Simon and Garfunkel - what's not to say about the harmonies? Paul's still writing great songs. Brian Wilson can still walk into a studio and work harmonies out in one day. If he walked into a GNR session and Axl was stuck with harmonies, just stick his ass in a sandbox, give him the mic, and he'd be done in a couple of hours, even if they were guide vocals that Axl could take apart and sing over. The guy figures harmonies out in his HEAD.

If a guy can't sing in key, his delivery better be damn good. You can name any frontman who might not be a great singer, but how they deliver it to their audience made all the difference in the world. The band didn't even have to be great.

Rock n' roll gets away with the wheels coming off, the band can be chaotic and out of tune, as long as you have a frontman who's able to deliver. Rock bands should be holding it together with duck tape from time to time, it shouldn't be about getting it right in the studio looking for the perfect fucking note, but they have to live with it once it's out.

Unless they own the whole thing and can choose to do what they want with it.

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If a guy can't sing in key, his delivery better be damn good. You can name any frontman who might not be a great singer, but how they deliver it to their audience made all the difference in the world. The band didn't even have to be great.

This is a really good point. One of my favorite bands is Deftones, and by all accounts, their singer really isn't very good, but his delivery is so unique that the music still stands up.

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Definitely an important aspect to any kind of music. Vocal melodies are generally what people come away humming or remembering. Good harmonies can add to that too, but the main vocal melody can always make or break a song. One of the best examples I can think of for me personally is The Spirit of Radio by Rush. Geddy's vocal melodies (combined with the great lyrics) in the verses make the song for me, especially the way the second verse comes in. Alex Lifeson keeps it pretty straightforward for the verses (simple four chord progression) so it's up to Geddy to elevate the song and he delivers big time. No harmonies or backing vocals - just one single great melody line.

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