Syllabic Music

Definition

Syllabic music refers to a style of vocal or choral music where each syllable of the text is set to one note. In other words, there is only one note per syllable.

Analogy

Imagine reading a book out loud and assigning just one word to each breath you take. Each word gets its own breath, just like each syllable in syllabic music gets its own note.

Related terms

Melismatic Music: Melismatic music is the opposite of syllabic music, where multiple notes are sung on a single syllable. It's like singing a long, flowing melody on just one word.

Word Painting: Word painting is when the musical elements reflect the meaning of the lyrics. For example, if the lyrics mention "rising up," the melody might ascend in pitch.

Text Setting: Text setting refers to how the composer chooses to match notes with specific words or phrases in a piece of vocal music.