Lyrics or no lyrics?

[Fishyash]

The human voice is limited in that it has a far lower range of pitches that it can produce than instruments such as the guitar or piano. Additionally, it lacks the ability to be played/sung at the speeds of many other instruments. It has the unique ability, however, to deliver lyrical quality at the same time as melodic quality, something no instrument can do. Also, it offers more easily understood emotional depth than any other instrument.

I wouldn't call it the "most versatile" instrument but definitely a unique and important one. I think, for a piece meant to mean something specific that is not not designed for accompaniment that would explain it (video game music, plays, etc. ), lyrical music does work best. If a piece is merely meant to exhibit more general emotion or accompany another work, an instrumental piece works better as lyrics would distract from the emotion or whatever is happening in the accompanying work.

In regards to pitch I agree. However there are techniques (like yodelling) to reach different harmonics to extend the pitch range of the voice.

Also in regards to most versatile, I think only a synthesizer can produce more sounds and textures than the voice can.

In regards to expressing emotion... I don't think it matters too much. I consider the voice as an instrument itself rather than something seperate. You can convey emotions through speech, IMO it's the strongest instrument in regards to expressing emotions, because they are, for lack of a better word, more real. It's a real person conveying these feelings, rather than through an instrument.

This sounds kinda stupid but I am just thinking... why does adagio for strings sound sad? Why does the phrygian dominant scale sound "egyptian"? Why do bells make us think of christmas?

 

[Rasmus Emilsson]

I prefer songs without lyrics, though it depends. If they're sacrificing instrumental values for the lyrics then I don't want to listen to that song.

And I think a lot of death and trash metal songs need to die in a fire, lyrics or not, that's not music, it's randomly hitting 3-4 instruments while screaming through a puppy's anus.

EDIT: okay it appears A LOT of the people replying to me do not read this message. If they did then they would read the words 'A' and 'LOT'.. see where i wrote that? it's after the word 'and' and before the word 'of' It means that there is death metal that i like, but I think a lot of it isn't music. if you're screaming into a mic and trying to make as much noise as possible with your drums, base and guitar then you're not playing music, you're pissing people off who are riding the bus at 7am. And to those saying that i'm ignorant and it takes skill to do that.. it doesn't..

But AGAIN, this doesn't apply to ALL death metal (but most of it from what i've found). Even if you do still disagree, I don't care about your whining and your reasoning, that kind of music is generally bad.

You don't care about our whining, yet you don't point out even ONE reason why this kind of music is bad, and you explicitly call it "generally bad".

Just shows your ignorance and lack of education in the subject.

It's not easy to play Death Metal, obscure chords and playing fast, and that is general Death Metal. We have Technical Death Metal that borders on asian levels of skill to pull of. Sure, you can say you don't like that kind of music, but don't ever call music generally bad or something of that kind, you will only make yourself seem insecure and immature.

OT: I like lyrics, however, I really like soundtracks to movies and games.

 

[Shock and Awe]

I tend to prefer lyrics when I want to simply listen to music, for me it completes the experience. However, when I am doing something else and listening to music in addition to it, I enjoy instrumental songs since they more or less augment the mood.

 

[dex-dex]

I am going with a combo of the two. like a lot of Daft Punk's song have songs that are filled with lyrics and then there are others where you wonder if they are actually saying something and some with none at allit just depends and Da Funk video AWESOME!

 

[rosac]

I like both... I feel that some songs shine even more with lyrics, whereas other just dont need them to be awesome, and would in fact be worse with lyrics. Case in point being diplo vs. tiesto: cmon. Busta rhyme's doesnt add to the song, it changes it entirely.

 

[Vault101]

both..obviously

somtimes though the lyrics can really ruin a song if they have a stupid subject matter or are boring

case in point:


god I wished an insrumental version existed

 

[sgt. soap mctavish]

I have somewhat preferred instrumentals although i still listen to songs with lyrics.

I don't know what exactly it is with instrumentals, maybe that it can make a wide variety of emotions with sound.

For instance:

despair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbb41bHrdVY&feature=related

 

[Popeman]

Seriously though, most of the musicians in death metal bands are skilled, but they're putting those skills to waste.

It's a waste to do what you love?

On topic Some bands it could matter less for others Iron Maiden to be specific would be much less without lyrics.

 

[Nouw]

I enjoy both. I don't have a preference over one since it depends on the variables of the song. If you count numbers, more of the songs I listen to have lyrics. But that doesn't neccessarilly mean I like them better. They're just more abundant in some of my genres like thrash metal, trip-hop and hip-hop. Others like progressive rock and house have a mix.

Notable songs with no lyrics:Great Gig in the Sky by Pink Floyd and Clarre Tony and Voyager by Daft Punk. I'm including Clarre Tony because she did the singing. Or whatever you call it >.>.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

I personally can't listen to instrumentals. The stuff just ends up as background noise to me and all that does is bore me.

 

[Steinar Valsson]

I find music is better with lyrics, if they are good. It gives it more depth, more things to discover with the song. But some songs are great as instrumentals. Jazz in general is better without singing in my opinion.

 

[Popeman]

Wrong.

Music I don't like = Bad music

Bad/Good is a matter of opinion. Even if you don't think it's bad, I do.

I don't think Justin Bieber is any good, so if I were to state my opinion on him i'd call him a bad singer. Of course you'd agree with this and there's nothing wrong with it because you probably don't like him either (unless you're going to say you DO like him just to try and prove me wrong). It's only because I said that I think something you do like is bad that you're up in arms.

Seriously, did you not go to school or do they just not teach you this anymore? You seem to have the mentality of a 4 year old.

Well I don't like some kinds of music but I don't say it's bad. Calling something bad just seams like a knee jerk response for an ass hole. Or someone who is just deliberately trying to make people mad. What I am trying to say is you are sounding incredibly ignorant. And if it's your opinion or not you are just coming across like you think you are better then him.