Ad-libs go at the end of songs. The ad-lib is a deviation from the established melody. It’s bouncing off of what is already familiar and now the familiar gets a twist.
Ad-libs have a harder time being effective at the beginning of songs because the foundation hasn’t been set yet. We appreciate variations much more when we’re sure about how it’s ‘suppose to go’.
This is also why ad-libbing is pretty tough in the studio. The artist has just recently written the song, maybe never played it live, and is going to record the vocal but the melody isn’t ingrained enough in their head to be able to bounce off of it.
To add to that…As fans, it’s easy to wonder why the recorded version isn’t more like the amazing version we experience live. Well, it’s partly because all those cool nuanced things that are happening in the live version weren’t invented until long after the recording. After the artist has played the song a hundred times on the road the ad-libbing and creative modification (within in the boundaries of the song) can go way up…and with much more confidence and ease.
Establish and deviate.
