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What Do you Hear in a Voice That Makes you Think "He/She can sing"?

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Gsoul82

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I'd be unlikely to hire anyone. But whoever i hired would be a reflection of my tastes, not whether the act of singing occurs when they open their mouths. I certainly wouldn't outlaw anyone from hiring whoever they want by saying they were not allowed to sing.

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Which is a evasive way of saying no.

 

Why wouldnt you hire him Killer? Who would hire him besides, maybe (and that´s a very forced maybe) a close relative?

The answer is no-one, probably someone would pay him good money to just not sing :).

 

Transforming it into a semantic argument does not change the fact that he sucks big time!

 

And what is different about Patti Smith??

 

This is what I would say is different:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPsXRiV6yo4

 

Its crazy, but still wayyyy better than that guy hahaha

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Well, first I don't like Bon Jovi very much. So Bon Jovi covers aren't that pleasant in the first place. So now we're taking a song I don't like, and I'm watching someone trying to force himself into singing it like Bon Jovi who I didn't like much in the first place. The guy can't do it. It is unappealing.

This is one of my favorite covers of all time, he's not copying Ben E King or anything, just doing his thing: If Lou could perform something like this live (and I doubt he would cause he was a rebel and would always do his own thing) I'd take it over someone trying to clone another artist. Just my opinion.

 

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I guess anything from Tibetan chants to kabuki theater can be percieved as singing......... Side note, If any of you review my singing please keep in mind I would prefer my tone to be somewhere between Paul Rodgers and Steven Tyler........ anything outside of that please let me know ......... Thanks.

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As a Jersey boy, I'm taking that one personal, Killer :lol:

1 minute ago, KillerKu said:

Well, first I don't like Bon Jovi very much. So Bon Jovi covers aren't that pleasant in the first place. So now we're taking a song I don't like, and I'm watching someone trying to force himself into singing it like Bon Jovi who I didn't like much in the first place. The guy can't do it. It is unappealing.

This is one of my favorite covers of all time, he's not copying Ben E King or anything, just doing his thing: If Lou could perform something like this live (and I doubt he would cause he was a rebel and would always do his own thing) I'd take it over someone trying to clone another artist. Just my opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

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16 minutes ago, Felipe Carvalho said:

hahaha But unlike this dude that can sing Tuvan Throat singing, that dude is useless, he cant sing anything! :) 

It would remain to be seen whether he could sing something I enjoy. Bon Jovi might have been an awkward phase for him, you never know. Something interesting might have happened before or after the phase.

And It's possible he could have developed into something interesting over time. Virtually no three to four year old children make sounds I particularly enjoy either, but it doesn't mean they can't sing or aren't singing.  give them time and unexpected things can happen. He might have been a singing equivalent of a three year old.

I only have about 5-6 years of collective experience myself due to downtime and I've found myself able to tap closer into my tastes. No one else really has to appreciate it. I like the journey and some of the awkward phases are part of it for me. 

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So funny that someone brings Lou Reed in as an example on this question... that is going to take some real philosophical views on what defines great singing LOL... My God he is bad... and yet, makeS it work... it is the strangest thing?

I would say:

1. Intonation first and foremost, above all else, always.

Then...

2. Range.

3. Belt Strength.

4. Dynamics.

5. Melody, Lyrics, Interpretation.

ENJOY SOME FREDDIE CURCCI ... THIS CAT COULD SING!  :devin:

 

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On January 19, 2016 at 10:17 AM, MDEW said:

    I am more of an impression/expression guy than pitch perfect guy. Does the mood in the voice match the mood in the song. Some people like the tonal qualities of Opera, that is not me. Give me Janis Joplin, John Prine, Jim Croce, James Taylor, ZZtop, Molly Hatchet, 60 to 70s Motown,

    To be honest I cannot stand to watch things like "The Voice", "X factor" .......... Melisma and Runs are pretty cool when taken a little at a time but too much is not musical to my ears. Same thing with Kick ass tone like Adele in "Hello"  One song with the tone of "hello from the other SIDE " is enough. Some try to put that tone in the whole song and it is just too much.

JIM CROCE? DID SOMEONE SAY JIM CROCE?  I FUCKING LOVE JIM CROCE!!!

 

MY GOD LISTEN TO THE LYRICS TO THESE SONGS GUYS.. THEY ARE JUST GENIUS.

FUNK IT JIM...

HERE IS HIS DOCUMENTARY...

 

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@killer while they (3 and 4 yo) cant produce something useful, for all practical purpose they can´t sing. Eventually they will learn.

Also lets remember that the thread is not about the semantics, of course no one wants to forbid people from trying to sing, experimenting and etc, this is necessary to learn.

The question is what leads people to perceive someone as a singer (someone capable of performing with quality) or not.

 

My point is rather simple, its a real issue, we perceive it, but its also subjective and can not be broken down into objective parameters. If it was possible all that would be necessary is to figure out the perfect mechanical combination and produce it, always the same, always equal.

So just keep it subjective and most of the time we will be fine. When this simple evaluation isnt enough or leaves you in doubt, that´s where someone with more experience in music is a very valuable resource.

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41 minutes ago, YouCanSingAnything said:

 If you have a guitarist who struggles to play the notes, struggles to play the upper part of the guitar, has a mediocre tone, and is inconsistent in their ability night to night... they're bad.

why u gotta bring Ace Frehley into this??

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2 hours ago, Felipe Carvalho said:

@killer while they (3 and 4 yo) cant produce something useful, for all practical purpose they can´t sing. Eventually they will learn.

Also lets remember that the thread is not about the semantics, of course no one wants to forbid people from trying to sing, experimenting and etc, this is necessary to learn.

The question is what leads people to perceive someone as a singer (someone capable of performing with quality) or not.

 

My point is rather simple, its a real issue, we perceive it, but its also subjective and can not be broken down into objective parameters. If it was possible all that would be necessary is to figure out the perfect mechanical combination and produce it, always the same, always equal.

So just keep it subjective and most of the time we will be fine. When this simple evaluation isnt enough or leaves you in doubt, that´s where someone with more experience in music is a very valuable resource.

The semantics are important. A 3 or 4 year old making a sustained meaningful sound is useful. It enriches their lives and will likely motivate them to continue pursuing meaningful sounds. Along the way it is likely they will develop some skill in producing those sounds. 

I was told I couldn't sing by a family member at an early age, and took it literally. Stopped singing for 13 years or so until I realized I was really passionate about it when I was about 20. I realized my family member was an idiot for saying 'you cannot sing' and I was an idiot for listening and I chose to sing. Why? Because I can and wanted to.  

A 3 to 4 year old is unlikely to create a marketable product, but that is not at all equivalent singing. People are hearing messages that they can't sing all the time, and not everyone is savvy. Most are vulnerable children who shut doors in their lives. This person 'can' sing that person 'can't' sing. 

And offering instruction isn't the magic bullet either. Instruction and education is nice and can be very helpful, but a good portion of what makes singing so magical just cannot be taught. It's innovation. It's difference. It's individuality. Someone may be able to teach that guy how to make Bon Jovi like sounds and get it pretty convincing, but sometimes better if he fails and is forced to do his own thing rather than be in a Bon Jovi Cover band. It's a school of hard knocks sure. But sometimes failure itself can to innovation because you are forced to look for different solutions.

Billy Corgan was aware of Soundgarden for example, and he basically said, "there's no way I'll be able to do that, so I'll have to try something different compositionally and vocally.' If someone was like, no but if you do X and Y and Z you too can do the Cornell scream, he might have started, and you never know where he'd end up, but he may have sounded like a wannabe or ended up in a Soundgarden cover band. 

Knowledge and informed instruction are not bad, but it's not the definitive the answer either. People have gotten some pretty impressive results from simply failing. "I can't do that. I don't know how to do that. I will do whatever I can do." Failure is often a part of that process.

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LOVE Jim Croce too Robert!  Very cool guy all around.. 

As far as Lou Reed goes, he may not have been a singer's singer (whatever that means) but man he had the attitude.  He had that special "something."  Swagger...?  Who knows.. but stuff like this is cool as hell to me: 

 

 

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    I can't believe you guys are still debating this( Oh wait, Yes I can). The question was "What do YOU hear in a voice that makes YOU think HE/SHE can sing."  Not about what kind of noise is singing or not singing.

    There is a quality or tone or attitude or some kind of connection between you and who you consider to be a good singer. Maybe one of my own problems in singing is that I just do not like the sound of a "Covered" tone or at least not what I perceive as that. I do not see making that sound as "Singing". OK now what? If that is not pleasing to me while producing it how can it be pleasing to others?

   What I HEAR in a voice is normally some sense of tone, attitude, emotion, a kind of melodic quality that gives a reaction either to my body or to my soul. So it could be any kind of random noise or grouping of noises that cause these reactions. If they come from someone who is puposely making those noises to cause that reaction and it works, They are a good singer in my view.

 

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Well I find it a very nice subject when we look into the stuff that is usually absent when something is not sounding good, for example, lack of homogeneity/legatto and lack of rhythm are very common "can't sing"erizers. These aspects are common "base requirements" even across different cultures, so the roots of this may go really deep, which is really interesting.

Think of the Thuvan singing for example, it does have these elements. There is a break of homogeneity when he changes from the low gravely tone necessary for the harmonic singing to the higher stuff where its closer to what we are used to, but within those two clear choices of productions the consistency of tonal quality is quite high.

And there is rhythm although different than what we are used to, there are patterns that repeat and make the performance interesting.

Otherwise, all we will say is that we like what we find enjoyable... Just because we change enjoyable to "connection" "mojo" "soulful" "rich" "sweet" "bitter". That's just word games...

I don't believe these aspects are enough to make something interesting to listen to, but I do believe without it, it will be really hard to make something meaningful.

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33 minutes ago, Felipe Carvalho said:

Well I find it a very nice subject when we look into the stuff that is usually absent when something is not sounding good, for example, lack of homogeneity/legatto and lack of rhythm are very common "can't sing"erizers. These aspects are common "base requirements" even across different cultures, so the roots of this may go really deep, which is really interesting.

Think of the Thuvan singing for example, it does have these elements. There is a break of homogeneity when he changes from the low gravely tone necessary for the harmonic singing to the higher stuff where its closer to what we are used to, but within those two clear choices of productions the consistency of tonal quality is quite high.

And there is rhythm although different than what we are used to, there are patterns that repeat and make the performance interesting.

Otherwise, all we will say is that we like what we find enjoyable... Just because we change enjoyable to "connection" "mojo" "soulful" "rich" "sweet" "bitter". That's just word games...

I don't believe these aspects are enough to make something interesting to listen to, but I do believe without it, it will be really hard to make something meaningful.

    Consistency, Rhythm, Tone, ........ Even someone like Lou Reed has these things. The pitch may not be perfect but the consistency ofRhythm and Tone in his voice is somehow hypnotic. The pitch itself could be overlooked(in the right circumstances).

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To me, you need to be in pitch.....maybe not perfect 100% of the time, but you simply can't be off pitch/out of key when you sing.

I go by impact, tone, emotion, risk, and sincerity.

Like Felipe, I'm all over the map.

Vocal performances that really do it for me I've posted before (see Bob's Magic Moments thread) but here are a few more that to me are memorable:

Soul and tone

 

Passion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2smvxMdg--8  gotta click on it

 

 

 

 

 

 

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