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Post by cassie on Aug 17, 2014 10:37:56 GMT -5
Bringing this over from the daily thread for archive purposes. Folks often ask me whether Adam is in good voice or is having voice problems or is at risk of damaging his voice with this rigorous tour schedule. I wrote this to explain what kinds of things to listen for that could indicate problems with the vocal cords.
I just listened to this, and folks, there ain't nuthin' wrong with that boy's voice. That was brilliant. If he were having vocal cord problems you would notice some of the following: 1)avoiding the highest notes. Here he hits the D5 twice, and perfectly in tune with clarity, ring and power. They are not in the original Freddie version, they are not necessary to the tune, they are embellishments Adam chooses to add. 2) Shortening the A4s and B4s in songs; not a lot of sustain. Not noticed here. 3) Singing those A4s and B4s with head voice rather than full voice. Again, not here. They are clear, ringing, and strong. 4) A noticeable burr or grit in his voice. Or a hoarse or breathy sound. Definitely not. 5) Cracking if he goes for full power on notes in the upper part of octave four. Nope, not that either.
Now, having vocal cord problems is different from his body being tired or sick. If you hear a singer sing lightly instead of powerfully, clip the notes and phrases shorter, or sing less glory notes and embellishments it CAN be because of vocal problems, but it can also be because of physical fatigue. Singing properly takes a lot of physical energy and stamina. Breath support involves muscles throughout the torso all the way down to the groin (as we can often see with Adam, but it is part of breathing and supporting fully, not just excitement at being in front of a loving audience). If a singer is too tired or sick, they may not have the strength to produce the sounds fully or correctly.
However, adrenaline is an interesting thing. Give a sick singer enough supportive medication and have him filled with performance adrenaline, and he may find the energy reserves to sing properly while bouncing around the stage. He may look and sound perfectly healthy. Then, two hours after the show, he may be so exhausted he cannot get out of bed. So, it is possible that Adam is feeling under the weather. They may have eliminated the songs requiring the most energy and technique vocally in order to spend less energy in the performance overall.
Or, he may be fine, and they made these choices to add variety to the set list after already playing last night. Or to accommodate the fireworks. Or because they thought the slow ballads would drag down the audience energy. Or because they thought that the audience would not appreciate the American gospel tradition as much as the pounding beat of IWIA.
I have no idea of the reasons for the set list, but I can assure you based on this song, it was NOT because Adam is having vocal issues. Be at peace, grasshoppers.
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Post by bridgeymah on Aug 17, 2014 18:10:08 GMT -5
Saw this and thought it was a great post. I was pretty sure the set changes were time related not vocally related - he sounded great on the stream and has just had a bunch of time off and only 3 short concerts (by QAL standards). Thanks as always for sharing your knowledge with us - really helps me to appreciate Adam's gift and dedication to his craft even more.
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Post by red panda on Sept 1, 2014 0:35:36 GMT -5
Another question for you cassie.
I was just listening to some Kelly Clarkson videos and was totally distracted by her breathing. At the end of a phrase she very audibly takes in a breath, almost sounding like she is out of breath. I didn't remember Adam doing that, listened to this new video of WWTLF, and realized that i cannot hear ANY intake of breath at the end of a phrase. It is actually lovely, I never noticed it's absence until now.
Is that a learned technique, or perhaps a personal preference on the part of the singer? It seems to me more skilled if I don't hear that sharp intake of breath, is that a sign of good training/technique? Would love to hear you discuss breathing techniques.
Really not ragging on Kelly, in fact I think she would be a fantastic duet partner for Adam.
Kelly (singing starts ~1:55)
Adam WWTLF (video is sideways)
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Post by cassie on Sept 2, 2014 10:15:10 GMT -5
Breathing techniques are the very foundation of good singing. If you don't have that, you cannot do great things with range, dynamics, phrasing, interpretation, tone, control or consistency. You certainly cannot sing lying upside down on a chaise lounge or sustain notes for 16 seconds.
Generally speaking, your breathing should be silent. If you hear a breath it means that there is at least some constriction in the vocal tract to produce it. The goal of a great singer is to have their vocal tract totally relaxed and open as they breathe in. Just like wind. Wind has no sound by itself. The sound of wind is the friction created by it passing over objects: leaves, water, wires, grass, body parts, etc.
Singers with great breath control can CHOOSE to make their breathing audible for effect. Adam does that occasionally. In ballads, mostly. For emotional impact. I am thinking of Soaked live as an example. Don't know if that is what she is doing or not.
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Post by red panda on Sept 2, 2014 11:41:27 GMT -5
Thanks, cassie. Love this analogy, made it really easy to picture (plus, very poetic!): 
Thought about how cassie is probably having to repeat herself for my questions, so decided to read the entire "Up and Running" thread. And sure enough, what was the first entry on page one? |
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Post by bridgeymah on Sept 11, 2014 6:15:52 GMT -5
This is a question / general post. I was flipping around some of Adam's older you tube performances and was struck by just how much is voice has matured even in the past few years. I noticed it most strongly at iheartradio but also across this tour. Not talking about his range but there seems to be more depth and (if possible) more control to it.
Cassie I know you've talked about male tenor voices not reaching full maturity til later in their 30s so that is probably part of it. But its more than that - though not something I can put my finger on. Whatever it is exciting to think about what he will do on A3.
Any thoughts by others - do you notice the same thing?
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eri9
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Post by eri9 on Sept 12, 2014 19:50:02 GMT -5
This is a question / general post. I was flipping around some of Adam's older you tube performances and was struck by just how much is voice has matured even in the past few years. I noticed it most strongly at iheartradio but also across this tour. Not talking about his range but there seems to be more depth and (if possible) more control to it. Cassie I know you've talked about male tenor voices not reaching full maturity til later in their 30s so that is probably part of it. But its more than that - though not something I can put my finger on. Whatever it is exciting to think about what he will do on A3. Any thoughts by others - do you notice the same thing? Yes, I have noticed that his voice is sounding better than ever. Fuller, richer, just better! So yeah, I totally agree. I especially noticed it at my 2nd QAL show (2nd Melbourne show) where I chose to not take any photos, or videos, just to totally immerse myself in his voice and the whole QAL experience. That was the 9th time I'd seen Adam sing live, and I remember thinking clearly to myself that it was the absolute best I had ever heard him sound. I dunno if it was due to the amazing quality of musicians onstage with him, and the no-doubt superior sound system or just that Adam is better than ever. Maybe all played a part. So yeah bridgeymah what you said!  |
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Post by rihannsu on Oct 11, 2014 16:57:26 GMT -5
So I saw there was a longer video of the New Zealand performance of the Haka and the Hongi greeting for Queen in which we can clearly hear Adam say he is sick as he points to his nose. Now obviously we don't know exactly what he was sick with but Brian had told fans after the show that Adam was under the weather and that they had had a doctor in to check him out. So it had to at least have been serious enough for him to need some kind of exam or treatment before the concert and since he mentioned it before the greeting means it was more than likely some kind of cold. Really makes his performance at that last show all the more incredible because you could hear absolutely no sign of it in the singing.
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Post by cassie on Nov 10, 2014 17:06:31 GMT -5
Brought over from daily thread for archive purposes. Your observation is very clear and accurate. Adam is a master at song interpretation. a majority of singers not trained for opera or theater don't put nearly as much into an interpretation of the lyrics and song style. I hadn't really noticed it too much until I experienced Adam. WARNING: What follows is a description/analysis of song interpretation. If that's not your thing, if you don't want to know how the magician's trick works, scroll is your friend. Like so many other things about Adam's singing, this art of interpretation is the result of study, technique, and practice. It is a three-part process. First you must analyze the song: lyrics, melody, style, intent. Many singers don't do this very basic step. Take, for instance, the Star Spangled Banner. If you are an American, you have sung it all your life. Yet, can you tell someone what it is about? What the intent of the poet was? What the circumstances? How it relates to the country today? What are "ramparts?" How do the lyrics fit with the melody? Where is the climax of the tune vs the climax of the lyrics? What is the intent of performing the song for this event? What do you want to evoke in the listener? Secondly, you have to determine HOW to perform the song to convey the song's meaning and intent. Sing it strongly, sing it tenderly, sing it soothingly, sing it aggressively? Emphasize what words? What phrases? Should you crescendo here, and decrescendo there? Should you hold that note? Speed up during the bridge? Pause? Slur the notes or lyrics? Deliver them with punch and sharpness? Delay entrance at the beginning of a phrase? Add a little syncopation here, and sing it strictly on the beat there? Improvise a riff or keep it simple? Sing with ringing clarity or add a grit or gravel to your voice? Sing in head voice, chest voice or mixed? To determine HOW to perform the song, you have to have knowledge and experience about the "tricks" of interpretation. You have to know that things like delaying an entrance or slowing down a single phrase, or adding a three second pause here will evoke the emotional response you want in the listener. These "tricks" are part of what a singer/performer learns in formal lessons. Lastly, you have to have the technical ability and knowledge to be able to DO the things that give meaning and depth to the song. It's fine to say, "This phrase needs to taper off and get softer and gentler at the end." But, if you don't have the technique to sing both high and soft, to control your breath support to sustain thru the phrase, or to shift from chest to head voice, you cannot execute your plan for effective interpretation. Adam is a master at all three parts of the process. And make no mistake. Adam DOES go thru this process before he performs a song. He has often said that a song has to MEAN something to him. He has to feel the song. Also, we have all noticed that the more Adam performs a song, the more nuanced and refined his interpretation grows. He tries different techniques and approaches, and then settles on those that work the best for what he wants to accomplish. He also switches things up if the setting or purpose of the performance changes. Many people hear Adam and think that he has a natural talent and what he does is effortless and spontaneous. "He just sounds great and he just makes me feel the song so deeply." Yes, he does, but it is neither effortless nor spontaneous. It is a master at work. Read more: adamtopia.com/user/48/recent#ixzz3IhpGkUh7 |
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Post by cassie on Dec 2, 2014 14:46:09 GMT -5
Copied from the daily thread: Dec 2, 2014 14:39:40 GMT -5 cassie said: Shhhh. Don't tell Q3 that I am posting something off topic. But, everything relates to Adam for me. I've posted recently about Adam's voice, commenting on that marvelous tone and his masterful control of his voice. It reminded me of one of my favorite operatic tenors, Alfie Boe. I went to YT to listen to him and stumbled upon a recent documentary he made on..... Freddie Mercury of all people. One of opera's best voices talking about one of rock's best frontmen. Fascinating perspective and information. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz2FSJKkHyAThen, you know how YT suggests other videos you might be interested in, I see a video of Alfie singing at last year's NYE celebration in London with Gary Barlow (where Queen and Adam will be performing this NYE). He is singing "Don't Stop Me Now". Not crazy about the operatic sound, but.... small world. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWe3J7Hr2LoWhich led me to Alfie singing "O Solo Mio", but the pic on the YT link has him standing in the kitchen in front of a counter full of food. Huh? It is him singing a capella while he is preparing dinner. And he sounds amazing! This is what I am talking about with Adam having the depth of technique and the control to sing exceptionally without consciously focusing on the production/technique. It just flows out of Adam, perfectly formed, time and again, as this song flows from Alfie. Think we could suggest that Adam gift us with a YT of him singing a capella as he fixes some scrambled eggs and avocados or a smoothie? youtu.be/TdufuZJk--w |
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