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Key Characteristics of Various Singers

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carp

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I've gotten particularly interested in the parameter of 'edging' E vs 'curbing' C as one element of various singers' signature tones.   I thought I'd list some names and get the feedback of the experts here on the direction in which these guys tend to lean.

 

FWIW these aren't necessarily all singers that I particularly like; in come cases just people that are in mind because I heard them on the radio recently.  If anyone wants to add names to the list that would be great.

 

I realize that this is a very simplistic way to categorize singers, but hey, I'm a simplistic guy at this stage of my singing development.   As I listen to some snippets of a lot of these guys it seems that even this simple categorization doesn't work, as some of them have really round darkish sounds, but simultaneously I get a strong sense of edging type resonance.  Maybe that's just what good singers do!

So if there are some other basic parameters or comments that you all want to add to the categorization, please do.   

 

Robert Plant (E?)

Billy Joel (E mostly?)

Steven Tyler 

Lou Gramm (C as  per Bob)

Paul Rodgers (C as per Bob)

Mick Jagger

James Brown

Chris Robinson 

John Lennon

Johnny Cash 

Sting

BB King

Freddie King  

 

Thanks,
Greg

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Thanks GCFan!  This is really helpful to me.  I think that's how I perceived them generally.   I do think that Mick J is hard to categorize in this way.   It's interesting to see very rich voices that are hard core edgers.   Not that I've read or heard of anything to suggest otherwise, except my own edging efforts.   

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I think a sound clip of centered modes would help immensely with this. I have a vague idea of what CVT means, but with 4 Pillars I'm not sure what the centered sound colors would be representing.

 

As a singer, I believe I curb more than edge, but it's possible to add enough of a quacking resonance to the former that it can sound pretty edgy.

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I think a sound clip of centered modes would help immensely with this. I have a vague idea of what CVT means, but with 4 Pillars I'm not sure what the centered sound colors would be representing.

 

As a singer, I believe I curb more than edge, but it's possible to add enough of a quacking resonance to the former that it can sound pretty edgy.

 

 

I would say that you mostly curb.

 

As far as i understand, In TVS-land, ee,  eh (hay)  and a (cat) are some of the main edging vowels, and oo, ou (would) and u (run) are the curbing vowels.

 

You've probably seen it, but if not this recent thread had some relevant info from Rob on the subject.

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I nominate Elvis to record some samples of curbing and edging for us.

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"Oh, is that how I do it?" - Bruce Dickinson

The quotable statement I had read from Bruce was in Martin's book on heavy rock singers.

 

"So, that is how they do that thing. What can my voice do?"

 

At least, that is how I remembered it. Then, again, my memory is what I forget with. I've got a mind like a steel .... a .... steel ....  animal catcher thingy.

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No no, you probably got it right. I don't remember how it went, but I think the point was that Bruce just mimicked Arthur Brown and was massively successful. And people trying to sing like him are paying out their ass to learn the state of the art super secret technique. :D

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No no, you probably got it right. I don't remember how it went, but I think the point was that Bruce just mimicked Arthur Brown and was massively successful. And people trying to sing like him are paying out their ass to learn the state of the art super secret technique. :D

What I had read was that he originally started out playing drums. Then, he had a girlfriend who was singing a choir or choral group and taking lessons and had a book entitled, oddly enough, "How To Sing." So, he borrowed it and went on from there. And had been trying out for bands as a drummer. One time, in one band, no one could sing and he thought, "well, I can do that." And did.

 

Years later, he went to see an IM show with Paul singing. And thought, "I can do better than that." And did.

 

Winners never quit.

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