Non-lexical vocables, also known as wordless vocals, are a form of nonsense syllable used in a wide variety of music. Common English examples are "la la la", "na na na" and "da da da", or the improvised nonsense sounds used in scat singing. Non-lexical vocables are found in a wide range of music from around the world and across many genres of music, and may be mixed with meaningful text in a given song or performance.
Traditional music Non-lexical vocables are used in yodeling, Blackfoot music and other Native American music, Pygmy music, the music of the Maldives. In Irish traditional music and Highland Scots music, it is called lilting, and in English traditional music it is called diddling. Vocables frequently act as formal markers, indicating the beginning and end of phrases, sections or songs themselves, and also as onomatopoeic references, cueing devices, and other purposes. Wordless vocals are also found Georgian polyphony, both in and outside of any yodelling parts (k'rimanch'uli) or refrains. The Blackfoot, like other Plains Indians, use the consonants h, w, y, and vowels. They avoid c, n, (ts) and other consonants. e and i tend slightly to be higher pitches, a, o, and u lower ones. The AIM Song has its origins in the Plains; as such, it holds similar characteristics to Blackfoot song. It is intended as an intertribal song, so the use of non-lexical vocables prevents bias to one particular language. Other traditional musical forms employing non-lexical vocables include:
Puirt à beul (traditional Scottish and Irish song form that sometimes employs nonsense syllables) Nigun in Jewish religious music Joik or luohti (improvised Sami chant employing nonsense syllables and few or no lyrics) Ululation
Jazz music Scat singing is a type of vocal instrumental music. A scat is vocalized using wordless vocables and syllables (e.g. "bippity-bippity-doo-wop-razzamatazz-skoobie-doobie-shoobity-bee-bop-a-lula-shabazz") as employed by jazz singers. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice. Scatman John (John Paul Larkin) renewed interest in the genre briefly during the mid-1990s. Vocal improviser Bobby McFerrin’s performances at major concert halls worldwide show that “wordless singing has traveled far from the concepts demonstrated by Louis Armstrong, Gladys Bentley, Cab Calloway, Anita O’Day, and Leo Watson”. Another method of scat singing is practiced by guitarists who scat along with their guitar solos note for note. Notable practitioners include Theo Katzman, George Benson, Sheldon Reynolds, and Rik Emmett.
Orchestral accompaniment A non-lexical form of Latin is often used as accompaniment for orchestral movie and video game soundtracks. It utilizes strings of Dog Latin syllables and a deep tone to emulate ominous or grandiose Latin chants.
Vocal percussion Non-lexical vocables that take on percussive roles:
Tabla Bols Beatboxing Konnakol
Musical training Solfège, or solfa, is a technique for teaching sight-singing, in which each note is sung to a special syllable (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti). Canntaireachd is an ancient Scottish practice of noting music with a combination of definite syllables for ease of recollection and transmission. In India, the origin of solmization was to be found in Vedic texts like the Upanishads, which discuss a musical system of seven notes, realized ultimately in what is known as sargam. In Indian classical music, the notes in order are: sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, and ni. Byzantine music also uses syllables derived from a hymn to name notes: starting with A, the notes are pa, vu, ga, di, ke, zo, ni. In Japan, the Iroha, an ancient poem, is sometimes used as solfège (i, chi, yo, ra, ya, a, we).
Popular music of the WWII era The song "Swinging the Alphabet" is sung by The Three Stooges in their short film Violent Is the Word for Curly (1938). It is the only full-length song performed by the Stooges in their short films, and the only time they mimed to their own pre-recorded soundtrack. The lyrics use each letter of the alphabet to make a nonsense verse of the song:
The song "Mairzy Doats" (1943) used blurred lyrics that sound non-lexical:
The lyrics of the bridge provide a clue:
Popular music Styles of popular music that frequently employ non-lexical vocables include:
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