The name for the ending flourish of many Christmas songs?
December 14, 2022 7:53 PM Subscribe
What is the name of the big band end-of-song flourish commonly heard on older Christmas songs?
Many older big band style Christmas songs end with a specific flourish - they all sound like the ending to this song.
Is there a name for that musical motif?
Many older big band style Christmas songs end with a specific flourish - they all sound like the ending to this song.
Is there a name for that musical motif?
Somebody who could tell you your answer very quickly is big band arranger Pandemonium Big Band - for example here is his video about how to write big band endings. The Mele Kalikimaka ending - which starts on a first note, rapidly slides up an octave and then returns to the original note - is not on the list - but he could tell you the answer, I suspect.
(He has done Christmas songs big time)
posted by rongorongo at 2:18 AM on December 15, 2022
(He has done Christmas songs big time)
posted by rongorongo at 2:18 AM on December 15, 2022
Best answer: For both instrumentals and vocals, a term that comes close is "tag ending" or just "tag". That definitely applies to the concluding vocals in the example. The quick instrumental bit is more of a short coda. But yeah, this is common with big band.
When our jazz band was playing an unrehearsed request, the leader would mouth "tag" and draw one circle in the air to indicate the repeat point.
posted by gregoreo at 2:31 AM on December 15, 2022 [7 favorites]
When our jazz band was playing an unrehearsed request, the leader would mouth "tag" and draw one circle in the air to indicate the repeat point.
posted by gregoreo at 2:31 AM on December 15, 2022 [7 favorites]
Best answer: I learned from Lin-Manuel Miranda on a podcast that they're called "buttons" in the musical theater world.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:15 AM on December 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:15 AM on December 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Yep, as a composer who writes production music, if I were talking about this kind of ending, I'd probably call it a tag or a button. I might lean toward "tag" on this one, though, since it's sort of coming back to put a bow on it, and "tag" usually refers to that little bit extra (think of the tagline in a commercial: you hear all the copy, and then at the end, you hear the slogan and product name, the tagline).
posted by uncleozzy at 5:07 AM on December 15, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by uncleozzy at 5:07 AM on December 15, 2022 [5 favorites]
The Minsky Pickup is a possibly related/similar thing originating in vaudeville, variations of which show up in all kinds of different music.
posted by sportbucket at 10:25 AM on December 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by sportbucket at 10:25 AM on December 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by zamboni at 8:15 PM on December 14, 2022 [5 favorites]