What was doo wop

Even uptempo renditions of old standards generally flatten out the melody line; i. The lyrics tend to be repetitive, simple, dialectical, and awkwardly-phrased. Some are even grammatically incorrect.

Nevertheless, many transcend these limitations to convincingly express such complex feelings as disillusionment, desire, and love. Doo-wop emerged in the urban ghettos from the blending of rhythm and blues, gospel, and popular black vocal group music in the post-World War II era. The style represented the culmination of many hours spent by teens--usually black males--practicing vocal harmonies in school gyms, street corners, and subway entrances. These young groups sought a piece of the American Dream via cross-over success in the music business.

From their perspective, the more direct route to success meant adapting white pop standards to contemporary black vocal styles. In other words, they attempted to replicate the formula employed a generation earlier by black groups like the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots.

Doo-wop features began emerging in African American pop music during the period. The doo-wop era began around a time when the key musical qualities of the genre were all clearly in evidence--and remained artistically and commercially viable until the early s.

This time frame can be subdivided into several phases of stylistic development. This subgenre retains many visible features of its stylistic ancestors; e. This phase featured tight and sweet harmonies; however, the lead singers lost much of the smoothness typifying paleo-doo-wop recordings. Bass singers were given a more prominent role; in the past they had tended to function merely as part of the background harmony.

The performers were generally quite young, featuring lyrics primarily concerned with young, idealistic love. Nonsense syllables were employed in the majority of songs. Instrumentation remained in the background, albeit with a heavy backbeat. They entered into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in They rose to fame in the s and s, and continue to perform with original member Otis Williams in the lineup.

With over tens of millions of albums sold, The Temptations are one of the most successful groups in music history. Doo Wop is a soulful music genre that has evolved into a common vocal technique used by several singers.

These shows feature singers and groups who use the pure vocal harmonies iconic to Doo Wop. Sing along to your favorites and walk away with unforgettable musical memories! Call us at and grab your tickets to one of our upcoming Doo Wop Cavalcade shows! Ask for volunteers to read the text in Handout 2 aloud. Have students complete the first section of the worksheet based on the information they have gathered from the text and video, then share answers with a partner. They will answer these two questions: What does the music sound like?

For example: uses nonsense syllables, and has a mix of high and low voices singing in harmony. Who performed Doo Wop music, and where was it performed? For example: groups of singers performing in public places, particularly in African-American communities. At each station, students will read a short text, view images, and listen to musical examples.

Statistics for doo-wop Look-up Popularity. Style: MLA. English Language Learners Definition of doo-wop. More from Merriam-Webster on doo-wop Britannica. Get Word of the Day daily email! Test Your Vocabulary. Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? Love words?