Up and running!

Thanks, Cassie.  I never thought of using ear protectors.  I might get some strange looks, but if I can hear Adam 'right' it would be worth it. 

I thought I had the Etymonics in as far as they would go.  Perhaps I purchased the wrong size since I didn't really know which size to order.  I will ask at the next venue if they have ear protectors available.  It never occurred to me they might have any. Thanks for the advice, rhiannsu.

I wrote this a while back in response to the continuing debate on whether the qualities of a "good" singer are subjective or objective. Can they be described and quantified. I analyzed why Adam's voice sounds so "good" to many of us. The topic came up again recently in a PM. Since this thread is currently at 86 pages and I have no idea how to find the original post, I am reposting. Maybe it will be of interest to our newer members.




What makes Adam’s voice “good?” Is it just a matter of personal taste and preference? Or is there some “objective” measure of voice quality? As with all forms of art, the answers are open for fierce debate. For example, Thomas Kincade is probably the most beloved painter in the USA in many years. But, if you ask art experts and critics, they are likely to roll their eyes at the mention. In answering the question of what makes Adam’s voice good, then, I will approach it from the perspective of a classically trained musician and singer.


1. Adam’s vocal tone or timbre. His natural tone is bright, pure, clear and ringing. It also has a fullness, or roundness so that it does not sound brittle, shrill or shriek-y. (And no, he never screams. It’s hell on the voice.) He has remarkable resonance to his tone that you can hear in every song in every genre. He is able to produce complimentary harmonics that enhance the basic frequency of the pitch. (For more info on harmonics, check out www.behindthemixer.com/why-harmonics-are-important-understand/ or www2.siba.fi/akustiikka/?id=42&la=en) This is partly a result of his innate physiology – his body has wonderful resonance chambers. It is also the result of rigorous training and practice in order to be able to use that resonance to its maximum effect. If you have listened to other singers you might have been puzzled that their voices seem so weak or even dull compared to Adam’s. Some have said that it is the result of their microphones not being set correctly. Nope, folks, it is not the sound system. It is his technique that produces such rich harmonic resonance.

2. Adam’s range. This is the aspect of Adam’s voice that is most often mentioned, and it is mighty impressive. It is not merely the number of octaves he can produce. (Documented to be a little over three octaves of USEABLE range.) That is unusual, but certainly not unheard of. What is more important is that he can produce the notes with a variety of sounds or textures. He has a rich, warm low register, which we are able to hear in “Runnin’.” He has a light, pure head voice that gently caresses the notes in “By The Rules.” But, then, he can also sing in his low register with the same light tone as his head voice. With no noticeable “break” or change going from low to high, or high to low. Conversely, he can take the strength of his chest voice and incorporate it with a blending of head voice for a very powerful mid-range and upper range, still retaining that resonance and ring without the sound of strain or push. Listening to Adam belt out notes high into the fifth octave, singers shake their heads in wonder. For a tenor to sing that high in head voice is impressive. To belt in a blended or mixed voice is nigh to impossible. He should not be able to do that. But he does.

3. Adam’s control and consistency. Untrained singers hit some notes strongly, wobble on others, cut some short, slur over some, sing some a tad flat and others a little sharp and even have notes that break. One mark of a highly trained singer is his ability to sing a musical phrase where every note is on pitch, strong, full, and of the same quality and tone as those before and those after. Adam also can control the tone of his voice, choosing whether to float it in head voice or belt it in mixed voice. A perfect example is in Mad World, when he sings the word “nervous.” He flips from a light chest voice to his head voice on the second syllable of that word every time he sings it. He doesn’t have to in order to hit the note. It is a stylistic, interpretive choice that is totally under his control. You also hear it in “Outlaws of Love,” “they say we’ll rot in hell, but I don’t think we will.” He shifts to a light, slightly breathy head voice for the high notes throughout the song, making it sound vulnerable and almost like a sigh. The last time, though, he belts it out in defiance and determination. Because we have heard him sing it that way many times, we know that it is an interpretive choice totally under his control.

4. Adam’s breath control and support. Anyone who listens to “Come To Me, Bend To Me” knows that Adam has a third lung hidden somewhere. One expects phrases of that length in opera, but never from a pop singer. I have never heard another singer perform “Who Wants to Live Forever” and sing “Who wants/ to live/ foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr when love must die!” with the last part in one extremely powerful breath. Again, that kind of breath control/support is expected in an operatic aria, not from a rock singer. His breath control also is what allows for his control and consistency mentioned earlier.

5. Adam’s articulation. Not often mentioned, listeners can understand almost every word that Adam sings. With many other pop/rock singers performing live, if one is not familiar with the song, most of the lyrics are indecipherable. With Adam, it is quite the opposite. This is another tool he has picked up from his formal, classical training. In musical theater and opera, the lyrics of the song advance the plot, tell a story, or reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of the character. It is vital that the audience can understand them.

6. Adam’s versatility and flexibility. Many classically trained singers cannot adapt and modify their technique to effectively and convincingly sing pop or rock. It always sounds like musical theater or opera. Adam bounces back and forth between genres with ease. Adam can sing with a pure, clear tone or he can make it breathy and/or raspy. He can extend notes, words and phrases in a smooth arc or he can clip them short, adding percussive beginnings and ends to them in a rock/dance style. He can sing with a rich, full classical vibrato, with a light, barely there vibrato, or with a completely straight tone and switch from one to another on a single note. It is totally under his control. He can blend his voice with others or float or belt it out on top of all others. He can sound like a baritone, a tenor or a mezzo soprano. He can sound like Elvis, Michael Jackson, Prince, and probably several of the female divas as well.

These are just some of the reasons that I say with total confidence that Adam has a “good” voice, and is an exceptional singer. I concentrated only on the “voice” and the technique behind it, not on his other strength which is his amazing ability to interpret a song in a way that touches hearts and souls, or makes us want to dance with abandon. Aren’t we lucky that we have found such a consummate artist to stan?

Thanks, Holst. I value your comments.