What are backing vocals? Pika: “Some people think this is heroin music” Who is the backing vocalist

By definition, backing vocals are a secondary voice part in a piece of music. It is this formulation that contributes to the misconception that backing vocalists are some sort of laborers from the music world, and anyone can sing along. However, many will agree that songs with backing vocals sound more impressive than a simple solo, and musicians know how important the skill of the lead vocalists is.

What are backing vocals?

A piece of music, unless it is an a cappella solo, consists of several sound and rhythmic parts that can be performed by voice, musical instruments, drums or electronic synthesizers. Perhaps the human voice can be considered the most unpredictable and multifaceted means of sound extraction; it is impossible to fully replace this sound with something.

Groups that use backing vocals create original compositions that are almost impossible to repeat with another lineup. Of course, the differences may not be noticeable to an undemanding listener, but professionals are sensitive to discrepancies.

Essentially, backing vocals are an integral part of the vocal polyphony intended by the composer and arranger. This vocal line of the work accompanies the solo, creating depth and volume of the audio stream; also, part of the text that the soloist cannot handle can be allocated to the backing vocals.

Difficulties of backing vocalists

Backing vocals should not be considered an easy job that any performer can do. In fact, in a sense, soloing is easier, because the soloist is the central line of the work, but the singers who sing along have to adapt to him. There are certain difficulties in harmoniously adjusting; for this, relative or interval musical ear is better suited. If the vocalist has absolute pitch, then one has to show conscious flexibility, and this is not so easy.

Active absolute pitch is a great rarity and a reward for a soloist, and an absolute soloist is easier for backing vocalists and musicians to follow - he does not overstate or understate the parts.

What qualities should a backing vocalist have?

High-quality backing vocals not only “color” the overall picture of the composition, adding vocal parts. The performer leading the additional part must be able to adapt to the soloist, insuring him in case of sudden loss of breath or some other problems.

Depending on the arrangement, the composition may require female backing vocals or male voices, individually or in combination. That is why the performer’s ability to hear the composition as a whole and perceive the ensemble is especially valued. It also requires a quick reaction, the ability to react to the soloist’s facial expressions or gestures, especially if you have to stand behind him - this significantly limits the capabilities of the backing vocalist.

Singing along is worth its weight in gold

Finding the perfect backup singer is very difficult, since it is rare that a musician has such a harmonious sense of performance that he does not try to take the place of the soloist. The task of a musical group is not to demonstrate the talents of each individual member of the group, but to balance the combination of all parts, instrumental and voice.

High-quality backing vocals are perceived by listeners as something elusive that frames the main part. They will stick to a good backing vocalist, since finding the ideal combination of all qualities in one person is extremely difficult. The backup singer may go off to his own solo project or be taken over by competitors, all of which creates additional difficulties for the team leader.

At the same time, it cannot be said that backing vocals are an easy way to get on stage; this is a difficult job that requires concentration and the ability to integrate harmoniously into the team. A good way to learn proper backing vocals is to sing choirs under the guidance of an experienced teacher-conductor. It is in the ensemble that one develops the skills of constructing a composition, a harmonious understanding of the melody, the ability to listen to other parts and flexibly adjust one’s own sound depending on the situation.

In the section on the question Explain to me, please, who are the backing vocalists? given by the author Alexandra Shokol the best answer is
Backing vocalist (backing vocalist, backup singer, background singer) is a person who accompanies the solo vocalist with his singing. When recording albums, the role of backing vocalist is often performed by the same person as the main vocal part. At the same time, at live performances, this role is either transferred to the members of the group or specially invited singers, or it is performed by superimposing phonogram sound. As a rule, backing vocals are present in fairly short sections of the compositions and echo the main vocals. A prime example of such moments are the choruses. However, in addition to supporting the main line, backing vocals can also serve as a contrast.
Source:

Answer from Messir[guru]
Backing vocalists, those who, in simple terms, sing along with the lead singer (performer).

Answer from . [guru]
on the backing vocals which

Answer from Efrem Osepyan[guru]
It’s possible without details ---- this is a sing-along

Answer from Maxim Dobrash[active]
Backing vocals (literally singing in the background), or backing vocals - a song performance that accompanies the main vocal part.

Answer from Alexander Jakovlev[guru]
Singing in one word. :)

Answer from Hoffnung[master]
You already have the answer (below)

And while someone on stage forgets the lyrics, blushes and gasps, others read along with a plus without a shadow of shame, others act more professionally and find backing vocalists, choosing, as a rule, from close and less famous surroundings. We present to you the top 5 most famous backing vocalists in the country, without whom the performances of your idols would be even worse than they are now.

5th place – OKRA

The backing vocalist, who was hiding under a grimace and once causing a barrage of questions, begins our top. Starting with inept shouts at the end of phrases, after only a few concerts Ocher became an indispensable character in Mironov’s performances. A smile from ear to ear spread under the black hood, shouts like “FINALLY RUSSIAN RAP HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED” were now under the overdrive effect of the pedal, and the Internet was bursting with versions of who this mysterious guy was: Lupercal, a relative of Miron, who had grown up... there was a version that This is actually a girl. Those who called Ocher Orebreaker, half of the photo-video duo, turned out to be right. When Ocher's face is not made up, he arranges photo shoots, shoots Versus, goes to geek fests with Jubilee...

In addition to the average lousy verse on the track “More Ben,” Ocher has a verse on “City Under the Sole” and the same unreleased solo track. This is where his achievements in rap end.

4th place – QP

When Basta could not yet afford his pet Smokey as a backing vocalist, this role was perfectly performed by his Rostov friends - Bankok and Kupe. The presence of talent or a close position with the star, but the latter managed to more or less shine in Russian rap, not only as Basta’s companion: he also participated in the Battle for Respect, and got involved with Tsao-Gazo characters, but only the description in the group is the same as bae hints :
“The KRP has been with Basta since Rostov times, participated in the recording of those tracks with which Vasya came to “conquer Moscow”, traveled around the country with concerts...” Basta’s right hand. And his well-deserved fourth place.

3rd place – TAHDEM Foundation

Some of the most talented guys perform backing vocals for one of the most famous ms. We are talking about Tandem Foundation and Gufa, respectively. Having started as a very promising group, winning various festivals, giving concerts, and being registered at the Central Administrative District in 2009, the group became Guf’s constant companion at all his concerts. Pros - the guys have greatly improved their skills in live performances and have traveled all over the CIS and foreign countries. Cons - during all this time, the participants at most appeared as guest verses on other people's tracks, while users of hip-hop ru, and other viewers and commentators were waiting with tears in their eyes for both Mafon's solo album and Tandem's entire album.

Miracles happen and just recently the group released its first album in 12 years of existence. If I had released this same material six years earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have had to put in all sorts of burry backlashes. And today the material is just suitable for a group of the level of “backing vocalists of a famous rapper”

2nd place – MC DONI

Hold your anal heat, viewer! Where have you seen a backing ms turn into a full-fledged mainstream person? Starting from singing backup for the black lord Timati, at the moment Doni has come to the conclusion that he has one, his solo concerts, and two, a beard, which has provided him with themes for two hits already. And if it seems unrealistic to you to go to performances with two tracks in your repertoire, then ask Donya how to do it: read other people’s tracks! The main thing is that people like it. It’s impossible to imagine a worse takeoff.

Basta's former backing ms, having finished working at Gazgolder, returned to Rostov, where he again began teaching breakdancing, and also released two interesting albums: “Picasso” and “Aoki”. Once in the southern capital, The-Flow met with Vitaly and talked to him about everything.

What kind of activities do you have with your children?

I teach breaking. Having moved back to Rostov, he again opened one school. There is also a new team, it has existed for two years, I dance there. It's called Out Of Time.

Very small? Is breaking so popular now that even the smallest people can take part in it?

My youngest student is 6 years old. I have my own small kindergarten. The oldest is 16. Breaking is now more than popular. And interest in it is growing every year. Chips and individuality are becoming more and more apparent.

From the outside it seems like the opposite. I understand when videos like “Freestyler” or Da Boogie Crew came out, but that was a hundred years ago. Why do people go break dancing now? So they see him somewhere?

Only desire. It doesn't depend on age at all. There are children who can do such things at the age of five! It’s a matter of internal desire, of the message. For those who are older, it accidentally caught their eye. For example, we dance on the embankment in the summer and have a jam. Linoleum, a column, our team or the Rostov team gathers, everyone dances. People are supportive, everyone likes it. Someone writes down the phone number, and they bring their little ones to our school.

Don't people come to you to twerk?

There is a twerking school. My girlfriends dance, I like it.

By the way, Krasnodar recently became world champions in breaking, right?

Predatorz- this is the Makhachkala-Baksan-Rostov team, there are still dudes from the North. This is a hodgepodge. We danced with them back in 2007, and then we won an international battle between teams from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Final Battle of the Year 2014

What does the world championship give to a breaker?

Good advertising, commercial offers. I think they are doing well in this regard now. They all moved to Moscow a long time ago. They each now have a school, various summer camps, where dancers from all over Russia come and judge competitions.

How long have you been in this topic?

From the age of 14. In 1998, I was still looking closely at this, learning from tapes. Together with the best friend in the area, we started trying it ourselves. Then, in 2000, we came to the first school, where Beka (ex-DJ Basta) and Irakli taught, having danced themselves for six months before that. Well, then we danced for ten years with our team, which was called Motormotion.

Are you progressing as a dancer now?

I'm making progress. I try to keep up with the wave, which is now considered the base. Every day it fills up and fills up. What Da Boogie Crew used to dance, where each dancer had his own personality and each felt his own thing differently, is now the generally accepted norm. Now the standard is an elbow in the back, twists, jumping on fingers and fists. Some are more stretched out, some are fast.

When did you first combine breaking with rap?

At nineteen. By that time, it turns out we had been dancing for five years. Beka at that time was a seasoned DJ, already slowly moving to Moscow. And we decided to try it together with Beka and Irakli, also a person from our team. The first recordings were made at home using a karaoke microphone. Our first team was called very specifically - MMDJANGA. There were chants there, I read in a hockey mask and robe.

That's why I ask: breakers often exist separately from rappers. Hip-hop is hip-hop, but they don’t intersect in any way.

The situation is changing little by little. I know people involved in breaking, hip-hop, popping, who at the same time are also the lead singers of some hard rock bands, screams suck. But I understand what you're saying. After all, mostly those who study music have nothing special to do with dancing.

Your next musical step was to move to Gas Holder, correct?

By that time, half of our team had slowly moved to Moscow. And then one day I spontaneously decided, upon waking up, that I had to go. I packed my clothes and even took a microwave oven with me. I lived there for almost a year and gave some master classes. I almost got into some kind of theatrical ballet. And at the same time I communicated well with Vadik (Kupe), they came to visit Vasya (Basta). And he continued to study music. And then somehow it happened that they offered to stay with Vasya on the backs.

When you lived in Rostov, did you somehow intersect with the United Caste or Basta?

Sometimes with Vasya at the Paradox club, when Beka played in this club. We crossed paths when I was very young, back in the days of the United Caste parties in the Comancheros. Vasya was there too, but we didn’t really communicate.

What is important in being a back-emcee?

Synchronization with the soloist is specific. So that everything is clear in terms of recitative. You have to get there, be on time, orient yourself. Vasya reads differently. Adapt. Study.

It was difficult to? I was at Vasya’s concert at the Olimpiysky. And it happened there that he would directly shout at the sound guys. It was obvious that he was dissatisfied with the musicians in some places. Back MC too, in my opinion.

It was different. Here, after all, the preferences of one person are important, we had to adapt. Something to endure.

How long did you work with him? What trips do you remember most?

Three years approximately. I visited many places during this time, for which I am very grateful to Vasya. We visited the Far East, London, the Czech Republic, Munich, and Austria. In London he met his uncle and sister. We saw each other for the first time in our lives. These are relatives on my father’s side; they moved there in the nineties.

Have you used your dancing skills at concerts?

Yes. During concerts, Vasya always introduced the public to the people with whom he goes to concerts. Beck as a DJ, although he also sometimes did breaking performances. Tati sang her tracks. I made a solo appearance, even though sometimes the stage turned out to be a two-by-two-meter area. I adjusted and danced. Everything was very emotional.

Joint track with Noggano and Vitya AK-47

Why did the cooperation stop?

Communication stopped at some point. Synchronization is lost. I wanted my music to be heard, I made five hundred thousand beats with which I approached everyone. In general, he was very sensitive. This taught me patience. It is clear that many are interested in what and why it is not in Gaza now, but this is a personal topic. I accepted the changes in life regarding leaving Gaza calmly because if it weren’t for this change, most likely they would still not have heard my first album, the music would continue to lie quietly in the archive. Be that as it may, I had a good study there, I’m glad that I was in Gaza, there was a lot of things and a lot of good things.

Nothing worked out for you during this period, right?

Yes. Moreover, a lot of material had already been recorded. Then, with my own efforts, I published the collection “Hymns about the Path of Drama,” it consisted of seven tracks. It included “Move”, a video for it, consisting of a dance chronicle, I edited at home myself. Then “The Drama Path” was filmed on Gazgolder - Vasya was filming, and Rustam (Romanov) was holding the lamp.

Was it scary to leave the guarantee of touring, work and belonging to a fairly large music company? Didn’t want to somehow get hooked in Moscow?

I didn’t want to stay in Moscow, I only wanted to be at home. I continued to train the same way. And most of the material was written in Rostov, in home studios. Mostly I went on tour from here, we even sometimes crossed paths with the other boys at the airport. Everyone is in their place now, I think. It had to be this way. It’s not that I’m categorically not ready to move to Moscow, I just think that the main part of my goals in music can continue to be realized in Rostov, coming to stay in Moscow from time to time.

How was your first album received?

“Peakvsso”? I've seen a lot of positive reviews. I put certain feelings into it. I believe that when you do this, there will always be grateful listeners who are able to perceive it. This may inspire some. Most of the music there was mine. I wrote something together with Flying Monkey, a beatmaker from Novosibirsk. Some instrumentals by my friend, Lesha Pleti. A very promising beatmaker, I myself don’t do much with minuses now. On the new album there is only one minus of mine, on others I was partially involved in the arrangement. All because we found a common language with the guys. I'm happy with what they're doing. Now I spend more time on texts.

Pika's debut solo album

On your first album you have the line “Even those who know me may not understand me.” How so? Do you strive to encrypt everything in your creativity?

Although I write in images, I try to convey them in such a way that what fits in a whole song fits into one quatrain. You can put into one line something that sometimes cannot be said in a whole song. Everything is quite clear. Some listeners close to me manage to understand on the fly, others think that this is some kind of heroin music. This is mood music, conveying tempo. For music lovers, probably.

How do you think the first album differs from the second?

I think that the second album, “Aoki,” quite strongly complements the first. It's a symbiosis because I love different music and grew up listening to different music, so I combine everything. I can combine a house beat and a folk tune, and attach some kind of mantra. Everything in life is one.

From your own experience, you already know what the life of a popular artist means, but at the same time you understand that in order to achieve this, you need to become a little clearer. Do you have ambitions to become a performing rapper? If so, are you ready to make more accessible music?

There are ambitions. Desire to eat. Performing, giving concerts - I always wanted to do this. I try to write more clearly. The album “Aoki” has become simpler in this regard. I compare all this to a break, because from music you want some special features of your own, individual moments. What you have inside is what you express musically, in movement, in dance. It's all one.

As far as I know, you haven’t had any solo concerts yet.

There was one in Yekaterinburg. Because right now I’m not doing concerts at all, although offers continue to come. They are writing from Ukraine, and the organizers are from Belarus. I was looking for a person who would deal with organizational issues, I was already planning to cooperate with a booking agency, but now I have a concert director. We recently had a call with Caspian Cargo and they invited me to their label.

What did they offer you?

Everything is simple. Without any paperwork, we initially agreed on mutual sympathy. I like their music, they like mine. We can learn something from each other. The concert director appeared. There are people who will monitor the dissemination of information on the Internet.

So they don't make videos for you? Aren't they doing other things that labels are supposed to do?

Well, our cooperation began quite recently. Regarding concerts, we recently edited the rider that I had. I brought in peaches and passion fruit (laughs).

Are there any plans for collaboration?

A collaboration with Tandems is planned. I'll participate, I think, on their album. Generally good-hearted guys. We have been communicating since we went on tour together and met in Moscow. There will be collaborations with Suitcases soon, and there will definitely be more experiments with Johnny Bongzilla. I’m also writing to his beats now, by the way, Johnny has a great feel for music! Still possible, with the Heat something's coming up. With Caspian Cargo.

But in contrast to you, they are completely understandable.

They also appeal to me in this regard. Interesting. Dudes with their own twist.

Can't wait for new releases?

It will be clearer in the fall. While there will be collaborations coming out. We will film material on the track “Juice”, which has been lying around for several years (the video premiered today on The-Flow)

Backing vocals are the singing in the background that accompanies the main part. Dividing the melody into voices turns the song into a polyphonic piece of music. The voices, gathering into a chord, make the composition rich.

Polyphonic singing

One should not think that backing vocals began to be used relatively recently, in pop and club compositions. Russia has deep, centuries-old roots in folk choral polyphony. They also exist in other countries. Polyphonic singing includes both drill songs and church chants...

In the studio or live

Backing vocals can be performed directly on stage, live, or recorded in the studio. Modern multi-channel recording equipment and computer programs enable the performer to sing all the parts himself.

However, many stars and producers prefer to invite other singers to perform or record backing vocals. Only when different voices merge are rare timbre combinations obtained.

Backing vocalist is...

Performing backing vocals has its own characteristics, you need to learn it specially. This is how a new profession appeared in musical performance - backing vocalist.

The main thing that a backing vocalist should be able to do is clean intonation. This requires harmonic hearing: when a musician hears a note in a chord. Therefore, instrumentalists from the star’s band often work as backing vocals on stage - for example, a keyboard player or bass guitarist.

The soloist works on the song for a long time, trying to give his voice special timbre shades. The backing vocalist has a completely different task. The sound of his part should emphasize the beauty and emotionality of the star’s voice, like a setting – the luxury of a diamond. If a singer has an unusual or rare voice timbre, he most likely will not be able to work as a backing vocalist.

A good musical memory and quick reaction are also important for a backing vocalist. He must grasp everything on the fly. Imagine, the star on stage entered a semitone lower, and the backup singer was like at a rehearsal. Not only the song is ruined, but also the reputation. And pop singers, like all creative people, are emotional people.

Many backing vocalists eventually become pop performers themselves. The harsh school of backing vocals helps them a lot in this.