Beyond the Notes: The Art and Magic of Vocal Ornamentation

When we listen to our favorite vocalists—whether it is an eighteenth-century opera soprano scaling a glittering waterfall of notes, a jazz legend improvising a soulful scat solo, or a contemporary R&B artist dissolving a single word into a flurry of emotional micro-tones—we are witnessing one of the most transcendent acts in human music-making: vocal ornamentation.