To Riff? Or Not to Riff?

A “riff” is a vocal embellishment, vocal ornamentation, in which the singer makes small changes to the melody, usually quickly (melismas, licks, turns, etc.). Examples can be found in many different styles of music, but are most prominent in pop, jazz, rock, and soul - think Beyonce, Ella Fitzgerald, Gavin DeGraw.

Riffs are vocal tricks, requiring skill and agility, but they can easily be overused. One of my (and many of my voice teacher friends’) biggest pet peeves is needless and/or motivation-less riffing. As stated earlier, a riff is ornamentation, meaning it is meant to add some sparkle and excitement to a performance but should not overshadow the main point of the song. Being from a musical theatre background, I always approach music as story. Every song, musical theatre or not, tells a story (otherwise what was the point of writing it, performing it, or listening to it?). A riff should further the story, not distract from it.

Knowing when to riff and when not to is an important skill for singers to develop. First of all, you should NEVER riff in a performance or audition if you have never done it before. Save your experimenting for your practice time and voice lessons. You also should steer clear of riffs if you know they do not fit the style of the music (i.e. a riff in the middle of Out of My Dreams from Oklahoma!, would be completely out of style). Finally, you shouldn’t riff if you have already riffed in the song more than twice - too much gets excessive and it beings to lose meaning and no one is impressed the fifth time they hear a riff. With riffing, less is more.

A great time to riff is during a repeated section of the song that the audience has heard a couple of times before and now you riff to change it up and add texture. You should also go for the riff if you have done you homework on the song and are motivated to riff. You don’t have to explain your motivation, but anyone watching or listening should be able to tell that you know why you are doing it (hint: the motivation should not be a personal one or “I want to show off”). A wonderful time to try a riff is in a voice lesson; your teacher can help you clean it up if need be, you have the freedom to experiment, and no harm is done if it doesn’t come out just right. Song style should always factor into your choices when singing - so if you know that a riff will be totally right in the style, go for it! Whatever you do though, make sure your riffs are clean. No one likes a sloppy riff and even music novices can tell when notes are muddled.

There are no hard and fast rules for riffing, and each person has their own preference, but these are some good guidelines. If you are ever unsure of whether or not to add a riff that isn’t written into the music, ask your voice teacher or you can even have a friend listen and tell you if it feels pointless. There are plenty of other times to riff and plenty of other times not to, so don’t think these are the only times you should. Trust your instincts - if it feels right, it probably is. Let me know your favorite times to riff in the comments!