# Name for music style in which a player also sings what they're playing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 3, 2023, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632 "2023-03-03T03:11:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/1 "2023-03-03T03:11:40Z")
Every now and then I come across a piece of music in which someone is playing an instrument while simultaneously vocalizing the exact same part. Is there a name for this style of performance? Here are a couple of examples. First, George Benson vocalizing most of his guitar solo in “On Broadway” (video cued to where it really gets going: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ok__l1Acuwg/maxresdefault.jpg "GEORGE BENSON On Broadway Album Version") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok__l1Acuwg) And second, David Darling plays cello while vocalizing the same part in “Sockdolager” by Paul Winter: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2Zo2jtstYW0/maxresdefault.jpg "“Sockdolager” - Canyon") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zo2jtstYW0) ---
**Author:** ![fordgt100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fordgt100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fordgt100)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/2 "2023-03-03T03:18:04Z")
He used something called a Talk Box. Peter Frampton is the guy who really got people’s attention w/ that on his live album. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/3 "2023-03-03T03:38:19Z")
> [@fordgt100](#): > > He used something called a Talk Box. I don’t think that Benson is using a talkbox on that recording; he’s just doing [scat singing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scat_singing) along with his own guitar playing. It sounds to me like the cello player is doing much the same. A [talkbox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk_box) gives a very distinctive and distorted sound, and neither of those recordings sound anything like it to me. For those unfamiliar with the talkbox, here’s a recording of Frampton using it on “Show Me the Way” (video is cued up to the right spot): [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gIRqMTg1GVc/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGEgZShIMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBZ5UW1B5ffyMM45_9dZKHwvLhGbA "Peter Frampton, Show Me the Way") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIRqMTg1GVc&t=21) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/4 "2023-03-03T05:25:41Z")
The voice is just another instrument, so I would just call it the same thing as when two instruments do it: Doubling. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/5 "2023-03-03T05:58:22Z")
The Mellotron used short loops of sampled voices for each note. It has been in many songs such as “Strawberry Fields Forever” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/N07-YAKtRAw/maxresdefault.jpg "The Mellotron: Famous Songs!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N07-YAKtRAw) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/6 "2023-03-03T06:39:45Z")
The greatest of all: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qB76jxBq_gQ/hqdefault.jpg "Glenn Gould plays Bach") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB76jxBq_gQ) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/7 "2023-03-03T06:48:54Z")
I don’t know what it’s called, but Slam Stewart used to do it: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Wms3ldtx_WM/maxresdefault.jpg "Dark Eyes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wms3ldtx_WM) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/8 "2023-03-03T15:50:47Z")
Deodato whistles along with electric piano solo: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qCs6CGJSA-A/maxresdefault.jpg "Adam's Hotel") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCs6CGJSA-A) ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/9 "2023-03-03T16:02:51Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > A [talkbox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk_box) gives a very distinctive and distorted sound, and neither of those recordings sound anything like it to me. For those unfamiliar with the talkbox, here’s a recording of Frampton using it on “Show Me the Way” (video is cued up to the right spot): Most mainstream exposure to the talkbox probably comes from Bon Jovi: Richie Sambora used it in some of his guitar work on “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “It’s My Life”. And yes, neither of the two songs I shared features a talkbox, which only modifies the guitar’s sound and doesn’t include any vocalization by the performer. In “On Broadway” and “Sockdolager”, you can definitely hear the performer’s vocal cords independent of their instruments’ sounds. > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The voice is just another instrument, so I would just call it the same thing as when two instruments do it: Doubling. Thanks, this looks like the answer. Wikipedia doesn’t have distinct page for doubling, but it does have **[a disambiguation page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubling)** that lists this: > - The assignment of a melody to two instruments in an [arrangement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrangement) Yep, that’s pretty much it. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/10 "2023-03-03T16:05:04Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Most mainstream exposure to the talkbox probably comes from Bon Jovi: Richie Sambora used it in “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “It’s My Life”. Also including, as well as Mr. Frampton, Joe Walsh (such as on “Rocky Mountain Way”) and Joe Perry of Aerosmith (such as on “Sweet Emotion”). ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/11 "2023-03-03T16:41:18Z")
I think a good example is here: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oGaY-fyZl5M/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-CYAC0AWKAgwIABABGGUgXyhQMA8=&rs=AOn4CLB8H1vnWXY6QB8oZzRmhfcgHmBMlg "Paul and Linda McCartney - Heart Of The Country") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGaY-fyZl5M) ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/12 "2023-03-03T16:47:48Z")
The vocal part is called vocalese. Wikipedia will tell you that the difference between vocalese and scatting is whether recognizeable words are used vs nonsense syllables, but many jazz musicians (like me) believe that the difference is solely whether the notes are predetermined or improvised on the spot. If an instrument and a voice are hitting the same notes at the same time, the vocals are vocalese. Scat singing is a combination of nonsense syllables _and_ in-the-moment improvisation. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/13 "2023-03-03T16:51:13Z")
Hendrix’s “Gypsy Eyes” is another. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/14 "2023-03-03T18:06:45Z")
It’s surprising difficult to sing and play an instrument simultaneously. Some were quite skilled at it, such as Geddy Lee. Others couldn’t do it no matter how hard they tried, e.g. Frank Zappa. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/15 "2023-03-03T23:43:24Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > here’s a recording of Frampton using it on “Show Me the Way” (video is cued up to the right spot): And what did Mr. Frampton want to do to you with that talkbox? (answer in “Do You Feel Like We Do?”} ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/16 "2023-03-04T00:22:19Z")
I watched a whole bunch of _Midnight Special_ episodes from 1975. One of the acts was Orleans doing “Dance With Me”. There was a closeup of the keyboard player’s filthy talk box tube. I almost lost my lunch. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/17 "2023-03-04T01:09:48Z")
Even under the best of circumstances, Frank wasn’t much of a singer. Even I can sing his parts, and I can’t sing for shit. But you’re right that he could not sing and play guitar at the same time _at all_. Couldn’t even really _hold_ his guitar and sing at the same time. Speaking of Zappa, the thread topic reminded me of this, which isn’t my favorite song but I love the little vocalese section: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BSymYhBZ3sg/maxresdefault.jpg "Chana In De Bushwop (Live)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSymYhBZ3sg) Should be cued up to 2:10 when the vocalese starts. In my memory it was Ray White or Ike Willis doing it, and I was going to ask if it’s still vocalese if someone else is playing the instrument. But it’s (clearly) Bobby Martin singing and on keyboard. (Song title is Chana in de Bushwop.) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/18 "2023-03-04T01:52:23Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Frank wasn’t much of a singer. I’m a huge Zappa fan, and… no argument here. Case in point: the [Four Deuces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Deuces) put out a song called “W-P-L-J”, which stands for “white port and lemon juice.” Their [original version of the song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJiyMC1xhDs) has some _exceptional_ singing. Just great stuff. Frank made a cover of it, with him singing. He’s a terrible singer, just [listen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb3Cu_Xrt_g). ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/19 "2023-03-04T01:56:33Z")
George Duke does it brilliantly on Zappa’s album “Roxy and Elsewhere”. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632/20 "2023-03-04T01:57:54Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > It’s surprising difficult to sing and play an instrument simultaneously. Some were quite skilled at it, such as Geddy Lee. Others couldn’t do it no matter how hard they tried, e.g. Frank Zappa. B.B. King was another guitar great who couldn’t sing and play at the same time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-music-style-in-which-a-player-also-sings-what-theyre-playing/980632.md?page=2)