Concept in Definition ABC

In musical performances, the human voice is usually accompanied by an instrument or a microphone that complements the sound effects of the voice. However, singers sometimes show their skill vocal without any additional resource and sing with their voice as the only instrument. When this occurs, it is sung a cappella. As is logical, this way of singing has a high degree of difficulty and, at the same time, involves certain risks, since any small error is evident to the public.

Whoever sings a cappella does it live and direct, without playback, without instrumental accompaniments and without any kind of effect. artificial musical (in many musical performances the human voice is corrected digitally, for example with the synthesizers of voice).

The origin of the expression "sing a cappella"

The expression "sing a cappella" comes from Italian, specifically from the word chapel or church. Therefore, "a cappella" literally means "as in the chapel". It must be borne in mind that in the past in churches the use of musical instruments was forbidden, so the

singing it was done with the voice as the only element. Thus, singing a cappella refers to the songs that took place in churches.

Until the Middle Ages The only one music in the churches they were Gregorian chants and it was from the 15th century on when the use of other musical instruments other than the human voice was introduced.

Musical terms of Italian origin

A cappella is an Italianism that is part of our language. Other words that come from Italian are used in musical terminology. There are numerous examples in this sense: mezzo-soprano, opera, loudspeaker (comes from loudspeaker), piano, sotto-voche or in a low voice, alegro (a musical composition), adagio (movement of a musical piece), aria, cantata, double bass, quartet, fermata, minuet, sheet music, quintet, serenade or cello.

These examples force us to ask ourselves the following question: why is Italian so closely linked to the language of music? There is not a single answer, but several:

1) musical writing as we know it was consolidated in the civilization Roman and later this tradition was established in the Italian musical tradition (the words used in the scores are mostly Italian and almost all come from Latin),

2) some music genres are Italian (such as opera),

3) Some instruments were invented by Italian craftsmen (the best known are the violin and the cello).

Photos: Fotolia - Morphart / Igor Zakowski

Themes in A Capela