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Music vocabulary · Instruments and Voice

Backing vocals

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, backing vocals means: Vocal parts sung behind the lead voice to add harmony, texture, rhythmic support, or emphasis in a song.

In Turkish: geri vokal, arka vokaller

How it is used

Common in pop, rock, gospel, and studio recording. Backing vocals may sing harmonies, repeated lines, responses, or long held notes behind the lead.

Example sentences

  1. We recorded new backing vocals for the chorus because the first takes sounded thin after the guitars were doubled.

    Here, backing vocals are extra sung layers behind the lead, added to make the chorus sound fuller and stronger.

  2. During the tour, the keyboard player handled backing vocals whenever the arrangement needed a third harmony above the lead.

    In this sentence, backing vocals means supporting harmony lines, not the main melody carried by the lead singer.

Common collocations

  • sing backing vocals
  • backing vocal track
  • layered backing vocals
  • vocalsThe singing parts of a piece of music, especially in pop, rock and jazz. The main singer sings the lead vocals, and others sing the backing vocals.
  • harmonyThe sound of different notes heard together, and the way chords are built and connected. It also means a second vocal line sung above or below the melody.

More terms: Instruments and Voice

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