Rhythm and Blues

Rhythm and blues, also known as R&B, is characterized by a strong backbeat and strong, smooth, soulful vocals.

When you write a rhythm and blues song, keep in mind that the emotional content of the song will mostly be delivered through the performance of the vocalist.

In rhythm and blues, the vocals are more important than the instrumentation.

An R&B vocalist will often interpret vocals in their own way in order to emphasize the emotions conveyed by the lyrics as well as to highlight their own vocal ability.

If you are writing a song that will be sung by an R&B singer with a wide vocal range, you can include notes in the melody that will allow your vocalist to sing at the top and bottom of their range.

Melisma - in which one syllable is sung while the singer moves up and down between different notes - is a vocal technique that is often used in R&B.

The lyrics of an R&B song often focus on love and sexuality, although they are usually not very graphic.

As with pop music, recording technology plays an important role in rhythm and blues. It is essential that any R&B demo that you send to an industry professional be technically perfect. Use the best sound technicians, vocalists and musicians that you can obtain.