Famous Vocalists Techniques

[Jarom]

I would like to start a topic about famous vocalists and if there vocal technique is any good. I  would like to start with Patrick Stump from fall out boy. To me it seems like he sometimes uses good technique but usually just yells everything

 

 

 

what do you think?

[KillerKu]

Well in the original Life on Mars Bowie sounds like he was straining on that note, from the sounds of it. I love it to death, and wouldn't have it any other way. He has one of my favorite techniques, so you'd probably have to define 'what the word 'good' means to you' first?

 

 

For me, 'good' and 'efficient' have totally different meanings. Good for me is the kind of technique I like to listen to, efficient is the kind of technique that gets people somewhere easier with less strain? They aren't always the same to my ears.

 

As far as I know Bowie struggled with that note live throughout his career and eventually gave up on it, to my knowledge, but it sure sounds great when he hit it. Possibly better than if he did it more efficiently.

[Jarom]

Good technique as in not shouting the note, singing in the pocket, singing with good breath and support and stuff like that while still making it sound good. Alot of great singers have bad technique but still sound great. My belief is that the would have sounded even greater with good technique.

[KillerKu]

Good technique as in not shouting the note, singing in the pocket, singing with good breath and support and stuff like that while still making it sound good. Alot of great singers have bad technique but still sound great. My belief is that the would have sounded even greater with good technique.

 

That's cool. Good technique means different things to different people. I've never heard someone sing that note preferably to Bowie to achieve the song's desired effect on my ears thus far. I think a different technique would likely change the timbre, intensity, and thus the 'meaning' of how the song relates to people as the physiological and acoustical mechanisms involved would be different.

 

Plus Bowie could have been taught to sing higher in a shoutier mode if he was taught some vowel mod tricks various other techniques. A lot of folks here with deeper voices than Bowie can shout louder and higher notes than he could and can with less strain, but it rarely if ever has that bizarre, surreal, lizard like alien, and androgynous aspect to it. Style is a part of technique to my ears, so technique isn't just about efficiency.

 

But I wouldn't be able to help you very much with the topic in the way the word has meaning for you. I could find you lots of inefficient or more efficient popular singers, both those I enjoy or am not fond of.

[JohnnyL]

Were you planning a thread where people post clips of singers and trying to identify what techniques they use to produce a tone (here he belts, here he uses reinforced falsetto, etc...) or a thread where people post clips of singers and then just say 'that's bad for you'/'that's good'?  

[KillerKu]

Were you planning a thread where people post clips of singers and trying to identify what techniques they use to produce a tone (here he belts, here he uses reinforced falsetto, etc...) or a thread where people post clips of singers and then just say 'that's bad for you'/'that's good'?  

 

That might be more interesting. I was speaking not just to state my preference, or be contrarian, but also because the idea in itself is not a bad one. To observe various styles, compare efficiencies, and so forth.

 

Judging health based solely on a sound often isn't possible. If I were judge health based on a sound, I'd figure Dave Mustaine would be a mute by now, with his scrunched up muppet tone, cause when I've tried something similar, it hurt, sucked, and was unhealthy. I just say no!

 

It  seems so work for Dave though. He's getting up there in the years, right? He still does that tone. So maybe I just don't know how to do this scrunched up thing safely, right? I'd imagine there are hundreds of ways he could sing more efficiently with a more stereotypical timbre but he's still at it, and I enjoy it:

 

 

It's a good technique for him, imo. He might get mad at me for calling it muppetish (sorry, calling it like I see it, said affectionately!), but since I listen to him and enjoy his timbre more than the average singer, and he's still singing many years later, he's doing something right. I can't really say how healthy it is for him, as he is probably the only one who would know for sure, really at this point.

[Khassera]

Ohhhhh awesome Jarom, I love Stump too. I think he's an amazing singer and has some insane endurance. "Centuries" is just mad.

 

Also, he's got a really cool urgency to his style, it sounds like he's out of breath all the time and it suits the songs perfectly.

 

I posted this earlier, but Claudio Sanchez is AMAZING! Listen how clear his voice is (yeah, he does constrict it here and there, but overall it sounds awesome):

 

 

Also, check out that mad guitar solo!

[ronws]

That might be more interesting. I was speaking not just to state my preference, or be contrarian, but also because the idea in itself is not a bad one. To observe various styles, compare efficiencies, and so forth.

 

Judging health based solely on a sound often isn't possible. If I were judge health based on a sound, I'd figure Dave Mustaine would be a mute by now, with his scrunched up muppet tone, cause when I've tried something similar, it hurt, sucked, and was unhealthy. I just say no!

 

It  seems so work for Dave though. He's getting up there in the years, right? He still does that tone. So maybe I just don't know how to do this scrunched up thing safely, right? I'd imagine there are hundreds of ways he could sing more efficiently with a more stereotypical timbre but he's still at it, and I enjoy it:

 

 

It's a good technique for him, imo. He might get mad at me for calling it muppetish (sorry, calling it like I see it, said affectionately!), but since I listen to him and enjoy his timbre more than the average singer, and he's still singing many years later, he's doing something right. I can't really say how healthy it is for him, as he is probably the only one who would know for sure, really at this point.

 

You raise a good point about Dave Mustaine and his cookie monster voice. I have so identified with songs like "Symphony of Destruction" and other stuff, that someone else singing it would not sound right. And yes, Dave is at least 50 now, if not a little past that. And still singing like a cookie monster.

 

But he also sings with some attention toward technique. While he may be doing the cookie monster sound, it is on key with the music.

[JohnnyL]

I might be way off here but it always sounds to me like Dave is using a lot of vocal fry (pretty high, is it technique or does he have a naturally high voice?), or that he is just gurgling water... never thought of him as someone who shouts for the entire song... 

[KillerKu]

You raise a good point about Dave Mustaine and his cookie monster voice. I have so identified with songs like "Symphony of Destruction" and other stuff, that someone else singing it would not sound right. And yes, Dave is at least 50 now, if not a little past that. And still singing like a cookie monster.

 

But he also sings with some attention toward technique. While he may be doing the cookie monster sound, it is on key with the music.

 

Yup, before the topic moves on, the most interesting muppet voice for me of all time is actually from an extremely efficient vocalist. You'd all know him for his nasal, twanged, crying sounds he can take up extremely high without using falsetto.

 

But I'll tell you what, when this fellow gets mad at injustice, he doesn't just get mad, he gets Grover. Check: 5:20 or so

 

 

And I've never had a clue how he does that while maintaining his singing voice underneath. If I tried I would implode/explode my voice. But I will say, I felt like my life was just a bit more complete when I found out he hung out and even sang with a kindred spirit:

 

[VideoHere]

Folks,

The post was posted twice.  I deleted the extra posting.

 

When it comes to technique, you can get into a whirlwind of opinions on it.

 

How has it, who doesn't.

 

I think it all comes down to the individual singer. If his voice allows him complete expression and he doesn't develop vocal issues, blown out voice, cancelled gigs, he's very likely found his balance and thus his technique.

 

 

[Robert Lunte]

Here you go...

 

[Martin H]

And "her" you go....again and siren (3.01)!

 

[Robert Lunte]

Cool, thanks Martin, nice to see you in here!  

 

 

Please come around more often... we miss your posts... how are your studies?

[RowboCaup]

Jesus Christ Superstar post was pretty cool. This is a singer I've had a fascination with for a while:

 

 

He is a "Golden Age" bass. Notice how his voice is not overly/unnaturally darkened, the fast vibrato, incredible legato, sounds like the resonance is completely unrestricted. This is the technique I'm after. In my opinion, this is NOT what is being taught at Universities. I haven't heard any singers sing with a techinique like this rise to operatic fame. Maybe they exist, and I just haven't stumbled them.

[gno]

I would like to start a topic about famous vocalists and if there vocal technique is any good. I  would like to start with Patrick Stump from fall out boy. To me it seems like he sometimes uses good technique but usually just yells everything

 

what do you think?

 

Jarom - I think he's got an awesome vocal style.  His technique sounds pretty good to me.  He's got that fast, consistent vibrato and he's able to belt those high B4's.  I saw him on "the voice" live and it seemed that those high notes were a little strained - maybe he's pressing too much and could benefit from a lighter coordination.

[Martin H]

Cool, thanks Martin, nice to see you in here!  

 

 

Please come around more often... we miss your posts... how are your studies?

Thank you, it's going great. 

[Adolph Namlik]

Cool, thanks Martin, nice to see you in here!  

 

 

Please come around more often... we miss your posts... how are your studies?

I'll second that... I too have been missing your input.

 

Hope to see you here more often, Martin

[popdollar]

from around,i believe every singer or vocalist have his or her own singing technique,come to talk of people who have good technique,then i believe celen dion,micheal jackson and steven wonder have a good technique,u see them showing different style of technique in different songs.