Exploring the stutter as a musical technique across a century

This column examines the use of stutters in music, from early novelty songs like 'K-K-K-Katy' to contemporary digital productions. It highlights how the technique has served to express emotion and craft memorable hooks, with technology expanding its creative possibilities. The piece traces the stutter through various genres and eras, illustrating its lasting appeal.

The article traces stutter-based vocals across a century of recorded music, beginning with Geoffrey O'Hara's World War I-era novelty hit "K-K-K-Katy," which reportedly sold widely among American soldiers despite the composer earning only a penny per sheet copy. The technique appears in both sincere and comedic contexts—John Lee Hooker, who actually stuttered, turned his speech pattern into a self-parodying blues number, while The Who's "My Generation" was briefly banned by the BBC over concerns about offending listeners.

Later artists deployed stutters for expressive and structural purposes. Otis Redding used "fa-fa-fa" syllables as placeholders to map horn arrangements, while David Bowie's stammer in "Changes" arguably mirrored the word's meaning. The piece notes that digital production tools have dramatically expanded stuttering possibilities, connecting early novelty uses to contemporary genres like future bass and digicore.