Sāman means melodic song, chant, or hymn.
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Bhagavad Gita 10.22 says so.
वेदानां सामवेदोऽस्मि देवानामस्मि वासवः।
इन्द्रियाणां मनश्चास्मि भूतानामस्मि चेतना।।10.22।।
Of the Vedas, I am the Samaveda; of the gods, I am Vasava (Indra); of the sense-organs, I am the mind; of the beings, I am the sentience.
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The subtle issue involved here is that majority of Riks present in the Sāma Veda, except for around 75 Riks, were taken from Rig Veda itself. Those chosen Riks are melodious and should be sung during Soma sacrifices.
Hence, Sāma Veda is nothing but Rig Veda itself.
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Further, we can find mention of singing of Riks here and there in the Rig Veda. So, codification of Sāma Veda might have taken place in the Rig Vedic period itself.
प्रदक्षिणिदभि गृणन्ति कारवो वयो वदन्त ऋतुथा शकुन्तयः । उभे वाचौ वदति सामगा इव गायत्रं च त्रैष्टुभं चानु राजति ॥
pradakṣiṇid abhi gṛṇanti kāravo vayo vadanta ṛtuthā śakuntayaḥ | ubhe vācau
vadati sāmagā
iva gāyatraṃ ca traiṣṭubhaṃ cānu rājati ||
English translation:
Turning toward the right the bards sing welcome—the birds speaking at their proper season, the birds of omen. It speaks both speeches like a sāman-singer: it regulates both gāyatrī and triṣṭubh meters.
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Now, a question would arise as to why Sāma Veda is mentioned instead of Rig Veda?
Rig Veda is knowledge but in poetic form. Sāma Veda is recitation of those Riks in singing format.
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My understanding is that eulogisation of the BRAHMAN or formless ENERGY through singing with dedicated mind, might have been found as one of the ways to attain the BRAHMAN.
Nādōpāsanā (नादोपासना) means "worship through sound" or "meditation on sound".
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Famous composer Saint Thyagaraja was a dedicated practitioner, often using this term in his kritis (devotional songs) to describe meditating on divine sound.
