Geoff Tate's Larynx

[kalapoka]

Hi everyone,

Does any one know what technique Geoff Tate is using? Does he employ a high/raised larynx for his high notes?

Fahim

[Steven Fraser]

Hi everyone,

Does any one know what technique Geoff Tate is using? Does he employ a high/raised larynx for his high notes?

Fahim

Fahim: Do you have a particular recording in mind, and particular notes in that recording?

For example, when he performed 'The National Anthem' at a Seahawks game, he seemed to be using fairly moderate larynx position.

[Robert Lunte]

Geoff Tate and I were both trained by the late Maestro David P. Kyle. I am the Heir Apparent , so to speak of Maestro Kyle. Frankly, if you would like to train on the techniques that Geoff Tate trained with, you should contact me... I have made a career out of understanding that vocal sound and Geoff Tate was my biggest inspiration.

To answer your question, depends on what period of his career your referring to? What song, what album? ... In the Early days... we heard a LOT of twang in the head voice through darker vowels... later in the QR discography, we hear more belting and slightly more constricted low head tones. Overall, Tate sings with raised configurations.

Here is one of my students singing "Take Hold of the Flame". Steve, FYI... this is a pretty darn good match to the original... if you want to hear amazing Geoff Tate, go to YouTube and run a search for "Queensryche, Live in Tokyo".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YzfVBXnWCk

[kalapoka]

Dear Steve and Robert,

Thanks a lot to both of you for your replies. Actually I didn't know that his sound/technique changed a bit towards the later part of his career. I was thinking about his high and some what operatic tones (am i correct?) in the song Operation Mindcrime, Jet City Woman (older recordings) etc.

To be honest, my actual reason behind looking for this answer is that Geoff Tate, as far as I can understand as a beginner, sings with a high configuration, and has one of the best rock voices. So I am a bit confused on why there seems to be a big school of thought who says that lowered larynx is a better way to sing high notes. Myself, i can easily go high with a cut-through edgy twangy tone with a high larynx (almost like the guy in the clip), and fail miserably when I try to keep it low. So am confused :S...which one should I stick with?

Robert, let me take this opportunity to commend you on your method. It is absolutely amazing from the youtube clips that I can see, and the clip above by your student proves it 100%. I am actually from Bangladesh, which is a small country beside India and therefore you can understand my problems to come train with you. And due to central bank restrictions, we cannot send money abroad thru internet . Sooo, am trying to learn as much as I can however I can

Thanks a lot again!

Fahim

[jonpall]

I'd guess that Geoff Tate sings with a fairly high larynx and someone like Bruce Dickinson or Ronnie James Dio sing with a fairly low one or a neutral one. Although I'm just guessing. Personally, and I think many people will agree, if I sing high notes with a TOO high larynx position, I just choke on the notes and can't sing them. So I prefer to have my larynx somewhat neutral, although it does raise SLIGHTLY as I go up in pitch. Many vocal instructionals from many genres of music, including metal, would agree with me, f.ex. CVT, Mark Baxter, Jamie Vendera, Seth Riggs, etc.

[Robert Lunte]

Dear Steve and Robert,

Thanks a lot to both of you for your replies. Actually I didn't know that his sound/technique changed a bit towards the later part of his career. I was thinking about his high and some what operatic tones (am i correct?) in the song Operation Mindcrime, Jet City Woman (older recordings) etc.

To be honest, my actual reason behind looking for this answer is that Geoff Tate, as far as I can understand as a beginner, sings with a high configuration, and has one of the best rock voices. So I am a bit confused on why there seems to be a big school of thought who says that lowered larynx is a better way to sing high notes. Myself, i can easily go high with a cut-through edgy twangy tone with a high larynx (almost like the guy in the clip), and fail miserably when I try to keep it low. So am confused :S...which one should I stick with?

Robert, let me take this opportunity to commend you on your method. It is absolutely amazing from the youtube clips that I can see, and the clip above by your student proves it 100%. I am actually from Bangladesh, which is a small country beside India and therefore you can understand my problems to come train with you. And due to central bank restrictions, we cannot send money abroad thru internet . Sooo, am trying to learn as much as I can however I can

Thanks a lot again!

Fahim

Thanks Fahim... I appreciate your compliments... even better, why dont you become one of my students? Yes, there is a very large camp out there of voice training doctrine that insist on "balanced" and "neutral" laryngeal configurations... understand this is fine and healthy. The unfortunate thing is that these same camps are teaching singers that its not healthy to slightly raise the larynx or sing with more tilted configurations (twang)... this is when they go too far and frankly, are obsolete. The "balanced"/"Neutral" larynx ONLY idea is old doctrine. New research and teachers like myself are championing the advancement and understanding that raised and tilted positions are perfectly healthy and fine... in fact, it is what you need to do if you are going to sing certain genre's that require extreme phonations of pitch & power... among other things.

In any case, reach out to me, Id love to work with you if your interested or perhaps pick up a copy of my DVD training system, "The Four Pillars of Singing".

Hope this helps... and welcome to TMV.

[kalapoka]

Hi Robert, thanks again for the clarifications. I wud've love to become your student, but as I said in my earlier post, i am from Bangladesh, a country beside India, and also we cannot send money abroad over the internet because of Central Bank rules. So I don't know how I can come to learn from you .

I will try to ask my friends in US or Canada to try to pick up the four pillars DVD.

Fahim

[Robert Lunte]

Hi Robert, thanks again for the clarifications. I wud've love to become your student, but as I said in my earlier post, i am from Bangladesh, a country beside India, and also we cannot send money abroad over the internet because of Central Bank rules. So I don't know how I can come to learn from you .

I will try to ask my friends in US or Canada to try to pick up the four pillars DVD.

Fahim

Seriously? You can use Pay Pal?

[kalapoka]

Seriously? You can use Pay Pal?

Yep! Seriously! Since we are a third-world country, it is in our best interest that the inflow of foreign currency is much much higher than the outflow. Therefore, our Central Bank has a very tight control on how much money goes out and for what purposes. [and no, fees for learning singing is not one of them ]

Fahim