Vocalist VS Instrumental

[blackdoll 907]

So i i've been exploring trap and it is a perfect example of instrumentals not really doing it, because the k-pop trap songs and grimes ft blooddiamonds - go be bumping and will get you to work. i mean their fine, but i don't wanna get up and dance. maybe i'm looking in the wrong place. 

[relentless 254]

I'll take good instrumentals over a good vocalist any day of the week. There's a greater degree of nuance in a good instrumental ensemble than there is just one vocalist.

[Heroin 53]

^ basically pretty much what I wanted to say

[CAT5 9075]

If the instrumentals aren't good I'll decide I won't like it xD

 

Pretty much this. While I think both instrumentation and vocals are important, in my personal experience, I find that i'm more often drawn to the former. There have been many cases where I've heard vocals that I didn't enjoy, but found myself able to appreciate them under a new light thanks to how appealing the music was - bands like 凛として時雨 and 9mm Parabellum Bullet come to mind. The opposite has never been true for me.

[enyx 903]

This topic confuses me a little. If we're defining 'vocals' in a way that includes vocal melody and timbre, then I don't see them as being in a separate category to instrumentals whatsoever. A voice is an instrument in exactly the same sense that a guitar, piano, or whatever else is an instrument. If we're more specifically referring to lyrics, however, then I generally don't care much for them very much at all. 

[saishuu 3220]

I was honestly about to say that I favored instruments over vocalists, but then I remembered that there's a reason why I can't enjoy the big majority of Nightmare's music.

 

I'm not comfortable saying I'm biased towards either one. I could mention enough cases where I favor vocals over instruments and vice-versa. However, there's something that's worth mentioning: in my case, I find it easier to get used to someone's mediocre vocals when they're backed up by good instrumental portions than to get used to bad instruments, no matter how good the vocals are. not sure if it makes sense

[togz 2004]

The way I see it is... Sure words and vocal melodies can be astonishing, but if you're working in a band or music group... the music should be made to amplify that. The instrumental foundation is the base of everything. If the music is bad, it won't matter what vocal melody you have (good or bad) it's going to clash (both in atmosphere and actual musical tone and beat) so even good vocals are lost if the instruments are bad. Sometimes the instrumentals can save a bad vocalist (whether it be the melody, technique or what have you). but there are in some cases that i feel a vocalist of course will ruin even good instrumentals. It's a per case scenario, but overall I'd say the instruments have to be on point for it to even be worth it to call yourself a band etc etc. Other wise if you just want good vocals... go to listen to a ca pella stuff. 

[blackdoll 907]

 If we're more specifically referring to lyrics, however, then I generally don't care much for them very much at all. 

ahh no, since there is already a topic for that

[relentless 254]

I know this is off-topic; but I've been holding it in for far too long:

 

blackdoll, your icons are always really creepy...yet fascinating in an almost horrific kind of way.

 

Keep up the good work.

[blackdoll 907]

I know this is off-topic; but I've been holding it in for far too long:

 

blackdoll, your icons are always really creepy...yet fascinating in an almost horrific kind of way.

 

Keep up the good work.

my avi's? i believe when you posted it was the one with 2 dolls.

[blackdoll 907]

On 1/18/2014 at 5:39 AM, miyuu said:

can you give an example were the music is bad but the voice is good or decent??

T.M.Revolution, kaya solo, dezert, 99 % of megaromania, Fixer, babymetal, decola hopping, sug, an cafe, yeti, grieva

 

Edited April 26, 2019 by blackdoll

[Gesu 1537]

I like both to be good, but it's difficult to say which I prefer. I've found bands with amazing instrumentalists and lacklustre vocalists that still seem to hold my attention purely because of their talent and easily recognisable sound (e.g. Lycaon, MEJIBRAY, etc), but I don't think I've ever found a band that works the other way around that has ever really captivated me, so I guess I would have to say instrumentals if I had to pick one. That being said, if I find a vocalist to be terrible, I might not be able to get used to them. I guess my favourite bands would have equally good vocals and instrumentals (or maybe slightly better instrumentals), although there are exceptions. For example, I love DIAURA, and while I do find the instrumentalists to be very talented, I've always been drawn more to Yo-ka's voice than I have to the rest of the band's sound. As for a band with a perfect balance, I'd say DELUHI.

 

A good example of my "perfect" band would probably be either Moran or Sugar, mainly because I just find Sizna to be such a talented guitarist. Don't get me wrong, I love Hitomi and Loki's voices and the other instrumentalists, but Sizna just always managed to bring this unique element to every song he played that made them stand out from anything I've ever heard before. Both bands having a very experimental style helps too, as I love music that sounds a little different/jazzy compared to other stuff, and while I'm sure that all the band members involved shared this passion (particularly Hitomi and Soan from Moran as they were both in Fatima, who also had that element of intrigue for me), I don't think it's any coincidence that both of those bands sounded great while boasting Sizna as a guitarist... so I guess that would make him my favourite musician.

 

#SiznaComeBackWeMissYou

[blackdoll 907]

So it's definitely vocalist. Anyone can make a beat or melody but not everyone can sing a certain. It also explains why i never think of one Initial'Lycaon's release as better than  another while people continuously  say they gotten worse. Yuuki's vocals has always hit the spot even when he is whispering or talking and the peaks in future releases don't overshadow the rest of the graph. It also explains why i stop listening to most bands/songs as their "good" instrumentals get tired . But honestly instrumental skill doesn't even wither overtime they just change sound and people bash them for it do to their bias instead finding other bands/outlets.

[Laurence02 185]

The instrumentals make a song. The vocalist can break it.

Edited June 6, 2020 by Laurence02

[Total Saikou 735]

There are very few bands I listen to for the vocals or lyrics, I'm mostly here for the compositional work. Nothing makes my jaw drop quite like an unexpected chord progression or a killer good riff. Don't get me wrong, I adore lots of talented VK singers and I do enjoy how some VK songs have intensely profound, subtle, beautiful lyrics but those signature chords are one of the things I can't get enough of. I even spare some attention to individual instruments alone even when the vocalist is singing.

 

I can tolerate a bad vocalist, or a good vocalist having a bad day, but unless there's some cheesy gimmick or something that panders to my taste I usually don't tolerate bland/basic instrumentals. It's one of the things that kinda made me stop enjoying some rap music, I started listening to the backing tracks and now their extremely repetitive nature irritates me. 

 

[Kirito 69]

Both are important.. unfortunately singers learn less and less how to properly sing, they relate on technology ( melodyne , auto-tune.. ) to fix their performance.

[Laurence02 185]

9 hours ago, Kirito said:

Both are important.. unfortunately singers learn less and less how to properly sing, they relate on technology ( melodyne , auto-tune.. ) to fix their performance.

My hypothesis is that there are more old vocalists who couldn't sing than now... they just haven't survived. Just as the mediocre singers of today will be forgotten. In fact, I think there are more and more singers learning how to sing "properly" due to the internet.

[ki11edb1th3qu33n 40]

this is really good question!

it depends really on the situation and persons involved

 

personally the compettion between music with vocals and just instrumentals (including other genres without vocals)

 

i say  personally instrumental music has more dominance verus just vocal music with no instruments or background of anything. you see band with or without instruments selling records without vocals just look at the non bocal genres avant grande,noise,dubstep techno,electronicaand the more aggresive genres atmospheric black metal and funeral doom and sludge dont rely on vocalist or voices they use both with or without instruments the tlaents the skills and sounds versus the imave and voice that front the project.. i personally say vocalist wont be successful without a band alone thry cant excell without music in background .

 

yes i support instrumntal music because i listen to that over vocal music when listening to non VK bands 

but when you mix VK into this i say its opposite i say in VK i feel voice has to be powerful to represent image and views they want to ortray witht he imagery the backing band etc is just etc i feel VK is very dependent on vocalist and the motion and everything has to correlate which what makes body and depth makes the genre broder than non VK bands or non vk genres or non japanese genres. 

tbh vk is better than the non vk genres and non japanese music today.. the way vk artist match imagery body and depth and band to the singer is what makes band standout which is why i like this genre men in VK have more better udeas than non VK NOnVK genre NOn japanese nonvkgenre bands..

 

overall i havent heard instrumental VK band but im intereasted to see the way imagery will be used to mix with the sound.

 

different worlds comparing non VK non VK genres non japanese nonvk bands vs VK itself and legit japanese music!!

 

well thats my opinnion but i prefer japanese VK over standard non VK non japanese non vk genre bands in refrence to some non vocals or non backing band and just vocalist that are non vk. 

 

i prefer a regular japanese vk band over a singer who just sings doesnt depend on band

and if they are non VK 

i prefer instrumental because in nonVK non japanese music no body or depth or imagery the poor use of image and market appeal o sell and make ppl buy all consumerism..

 

VK isnt like that they already have a plan of execution thry dont need consumerism they go all out

unlike non japanese non VK bands or genres