What does melisma mean?
A melisma is an extended, ornamented passage in vocal or melodic music. Rather than moving directly from one note or syllable to the next, a performer sustains a sound and decorates it with a succession of closely connected tones. Melismas occur in many musical traditions, including plainchant, opera, jazz, and popular music, although the word is most often used for the elaborate vocal writing associated with opera and devotional song. A melisma can communicate expressive intensity, technical virtuosity, or emotional height, but it may also be criticized as excessively showy or unnecessarily elaborate. The related adjective melismatic describes music or singing that uses such ornamentation. The word is also encountered in historical accounts of plainchant and in technical discussions of vocal technique, where it distinguishes sustained, multi-note treatment of a single syllable from syllabic singing, in which each syllable receives one note.
nounAn elaborate melodic passage in which one syllable or note is sustained and ornamented with several additional tones. The term is used especially of highly ornamented singing.
- An elaborate melodic or vocal passage formed by ornamenting a single syllable or note with several additional tones.
"The soprano's restrained phrasing gave way to a sweeping melisma at the climax of the aria."
"Her melisma at the end of the phrase seemed to fill the entire hall."
"Early sacred music used melismas to elaborate short sequences of notes."
The plural is used when referring to separate ornamented melodic passages.
"The aria contains several rapid melismas."
Its name comes from Greek for “song,” but a melisma is the florid decoration that turns a single note into a miniature musical journey.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does melisma come from?
The word comes from Greek melisma, meaning “song” or “melodic phrase,” ultimately associated with melos, “song” or “melody.” It entered English through musical terminology describing a prolonged and ornamented melodic figure. Its relatives include melody, melodic, melodrama, and melodeon, all of which reflect the same Greek association with song.
Related word forms
How melisma is actually used
The term is chiefly musical and is especially common in discussions of vocal performance. It can sound approving when describing expressive skill, but critical or historical accounts may use it to suggest excessive or old-fashioned ornamentation.