Within contemporary forms of music (sometimes referred to as contemporary commercial music), singers are classified by the style of music they sing, such as jazz, pop, blues, soul, country, folk, and rock styles. Since contemporary musicians use different vocal techniques, microphones, and are not forced to fit into a specific vocal role, applying such terms as soprano, tenor, baritone, etc. can be misleading or even inaccurate.
Vocal music is written in many different forms and styles which are often labeled within a particular genre of music. For example, contemporary or popular music would encompass blues, jazz, country music, easy listening, rock music and several other genres. Blues singing is based on the use of the blue notes – notes sung at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. In heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres, vocal styles can include techniques such as screams, shouts, and unusual sounds such as the “death growl.” In many modern pop musical groups, a lead singer performs the primary vocals or melody of the song, as opposed to a backing singer who sings backup vocals or the harmony of a song.
