Why does the vocalist get all the credit?

[justnotcricket]

You cannot communicate proper emotion through instruments as they do not speak any human language, you can only interpret emotion.

Spoiler: For example...

In this song, you cannot pull any emotional or any other connection from the music.
It is a brilliant piece, but there is nothing for us as human beings to relate to.

In this song, you can clearly understand what kind of emotion is being projected.
Because it has lyrics, and we can understand him.

I'd easily argue that you're wrong. I'd say that, more often than not, there is much more emotion in instruments, broadly speaking. This applies especially to piano.

On-topic: it's because the vocals are nearly always the focus of the songs.

I'll say exactly what I said to the other guy.

I want you to listen to those two songs again (or for the first time if you didnt) in my original reply...
-Try to relate a past experience or specific emotion to the instrumental.
-then do the same for the one with Lyrics

I think this might actually have more to do with how well an individual relates to words or music. I personally relate much better to the music than to any lyrics, and usually end up feeling that many songs would be better off without their words. That's just me, however. You (EightGaugeHippo) might just be the kind of person who relates better to lyrics. I think it works both ways. =)

 

[NEMESIS 94]

Because they're what you focus on most during the song. If you listen to someone like say Anamanaguchi or anyone who didn't have a vocals in their songs you'd appreciate the whole band more because your not listening the persons voice rather than the sweet drum beat or the awesome guitar hook or bass line

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

You cannot communicate proper emotion through instruments as they do not speak any human language, you can only interpret emotion.

Spoiler: For example...

In this song, you cannot pull any emotional or any other connection from the music.
It is a brilliant piece, but there is nothing for us as human beings to relate to.

In this song, you can clearly understand what kind of emotion is being projected.
Because it has lyrics, and we can understand him.

I'd easily argue that you're wrong. I'd say that, more often than not, there is much more emotion in instruments, broadly speaking. This applies especially to piano.

On-topic: it's because the vocals are nearly always the focus of the songs.

I'll say exactly what I said to the other guy.

I want you to listen to those two songs again (or for the first time if you didnt) in my original reply...
-Try to relate a past experience or specific emotion to the instrumental.
-then do the same for the one with Lyrics

I think this might actually have more to do with how well an individual relates to words or music. I personally relate much better to the music than to any lyrics, and usually end up feeling that many songs would be better off without their words. That's just me, however. You (EightGaugeHippo) might just be the kind of person who relates better to lyrics. I think it works both ways. =)

Alright, I guess.
But, muse me, what emotion or past experience did you associate with the instrumental song that you didn't with the one with Lyrics.

 

[justnotcricket]

Hm, I guess it's more that lyrics distract me from the emotional connection I get from the music. I don't suggest that this is an *exclusive* thing, naturally there are some songs where the lyrics speak to me (usually because that song was *playing* when something important or memorable happened) - of course, that means that it wasn't natively the lyrics that hooked me - it was the connection with the circumstances.

A sort of an example might be the metal music that my partner is fond of - I love the guitar solos, but the lyrics/vocal sections I find awful. They say nothing to me, and get in the way, somehow. It's difficult to put into words (no pun intended), but I just switch off at the lyrics, even if the singer has a nice voice.

I also meant to add in an edit that (for me at least) my own thesis breaks down in the context of songs where the music *is* the lyrics. For example, despite not being religious myself, I adore ecclesiastical music of the chant/polyphony variety.

EDIT: Whoops, clicked reply instead of quote - EightGaugeHippo, this was a reply to your post immediately above!

 

[Vault101]

So I know for a fact you've all listened to a song that consists of guitar, drums, bass and vocals and what really bugs me is the fact that people "oggle" the singer the most. Could somebody please explain the logic behind this if anything the singer is by far the least talented person on the stage.

I understand completely that there is a certain style to singing and amking your voice do stuff can be difficult but in my eyes it's a natural born talent. (you can either sing or you can't. that sorta thing) I also understand that to be able to sing in tune can be learnt but it's nothing like just being able to do it naturally.



EDIT: For those who mentioned it I know a lot of bands where the drummer does(<---/did(EDIT)) the composing. (off the top of my head "Three Days Grace" and "Avenged Sevenfold".

I think its because the singer is the first thing you indentiyfy with and make a connection with, and they can pretty much become the bands indentity, replace the drummer/lead guitarest and no one notices...replace the singer? people notice and may not be too happy about it

I mean I couldn't imagine Disturbed with a different singer

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

You cannot communicate proper emotion through instruments as they do not speak any human language, you can only interpret emotion.

Maybe I am reading it wrongly but that sentence doesn't make much sense to me. Anyway instruments can convey emotion try watching Bambi without the sound because at least for me it really takes the joy out of the scenes and the weight out of his mum's death. Although this is usually used to describe music telling a story Word Painting is what it is called when music does what you say it can't.

For example in Bohemian Rhapsody the flanged crash symbol near the start is supposed to be the wind, the bell tree effect on the guitar is a shiver down a spine and the drums signify thunder and lighting. While those are relatively simple examples there are slightly more complicated ones.

In Romeo and Juliet Fantasy overture the "Strife theme" has many rushing quavers and various other techniques to symbolise the conflict and anger between the families. This can be present even in non orchestras but I suppose without a small bit of music theory or having this being taught to you most people wouldn't really notice this stuff too much.

But without any back ground knowledge of a song or its composer's feelings, an instrumental piece is not about anything, it is just a broad overview of many possible emotions.

Lyrics give context and let the listener relate to something.


I want you to listen to those two songs again (or for the first time if you didnt) in my original reply...
-Try to relate a past experience or specific emotion to the instrumental.
-then do the same for the one with Lyrics.

Yes and those are really bad examples for me as I know those songs and their background anyway so this won't help your case. I am point out that someone who has knowledge of music can hear things like Word painting where music does convey this. No the average listener needs lyric the trained on doesn't.

To take an example of something a trained person might hear is a certain phrase in German music that is in Bach's Cantata Jesu Der du Miene Seele. In one of the movements I forget which one there is a relatively famous or often used phrase that symbolises happiness in German folk music. Stuff like this is universal and if you are trained to hear it music does not need lyrics and instrumental music will be just as rich as music with lyrics.

 

[Hosker]

You cannot communicate proper emotion through instruments as they do not speak any human language, you can only interpret emotion.

Spoiler: For example...

In this song, you cannot pull any emotional or any other connection from the music.
It is a brilliant piece, but there is nothing for us as human beings to relate to.

In this song, you can clearly understand what kind of emotion is being projected.
Because it has lyrics, and we can understand him.

I'd easily argue that you're wrong. I'd say that, more often than not, there is much more emotion in instruments, broadly speaking. This applies especially to piano.

On-topic: it's because the vocals are nearly always the focus of the songs.

I'll say exactly what I said to the other guy.

I want you to listen to those two songs again (or for the first time if you didnt) in my original reply...
-Try to relate a past experience or specific emotion to the instrumental.
-then do the same for the one with Lyrics

I think this might actually have more to do with how well an individual relates to words or music. I personally relate much better to the music than to any lyrics, and usually end up feeling that many songs would be better off without their words. That's just me, however. You (EightGaugeHippo) might just be the kind of person who relates better to lyrics. I think it works both ways. =)

Alright, I guess.
But, muse me, what emotion or past experience did you associate with the instrumental song that you didn't with the one with Lyrics.

What justnotcricket said is just about correct: it's pretty subjective. However I will say that all music has a tone - it makes you feel something, whether there are lyrics there or not. Describing the tone and thus how it makes you feel is often difficult, and cannot do the song justice even if you do. But just because you can' describe exactly what you're feeling with words, doesn't mean it's not there, or in full force. Your example wasn't the best, as the instrumental is indeed not exactly brimming with emotion, but it's there.

 

[raankh]

Well, it's long since been established that the bassist gets all the babes, so I guess it's ok that the singer gets something.

The keyboardist though, he gets nothing.