Up and running!

:Clap:

We understand your instant reaction. Many of us had similar experiences. I have told the story before, but...

I was half watching Idol while doing something else... I think folding clothes. They showed Adam and I heard him say something about being in children's theater, but wasn't impressed. Lots of kids get involved in theater when young. Most of my friends did. Then, Adam walked into the audition room and Paula said something about him being in the cast of Wicked, to which Adam replied, "For a year and a half." Okay, that caught my attention a little. If this guy has been in a professional, equity production then you know he can sing. This will not be a train wreck where I have to mute the TV.

He's gonna sing Bohemian Rhapsody. How's he gonna do that? It's huge rock opera. It can't translate to a single voice, a cappella. Why that song?

Then I hear "Mamaaaaaaa" and my head snapped up in shock. That's all it took. One phrase and I knew here was an amazing singer. Then, the next phrase he builds, belts out a high B, just like that. Pure as a bell. I was hooked.



Ask away. There are many, many pages on this thread, and new people checking in all the time. So, the question will always be new to some.

Adam is singing in his very light head voice that he blends seamlessly with his lower register. Many people think it is falsetto, but it is not. He is focusing the sound in his head and the front part of his face and sinuses, while giving just the slightest bit of air to keep it very light and soft.



Several people have commented about Adam crying while singing this song and WWTLF. This is just my opinion, but, while Adam is very emotional, I don't think he is actually crying. I think he is a consummate actor and interpreter, and knows how to color his voice and add facial expressions that make it look/sound like he is crying. Vocally, he adds tension to his throat to squeeze the notes. But, he keeps the rest of his body relaxed.

Singing thru tears is very difficult. I cannot do it. My chest seizes and my throat closes up. Adam has the technique and the control, however, to relax his body enough to produce the sounds and to support the tone. So, whether he is actually crying or he is a very good actor, he has phenomenal control of his body. (We're talking about singing here, folks. Get your mind out of the gutter.)


Sorry, I am not familiar with teaching methods for piano. My own lessons were way too long ago. But, find a teacher who works with adults, not little kids. And be open to the idea that you are not the same person who took lessons before, you have a different mind set and different motivations, as well as a well-developed style of learning. And, if something is not working, ask your teacher for a different method. Plus, be patient. You are developing mental, physical, and psycho-motor skills that will only improve with drill and practice. Not fun, but ultimately, rewarding.



We were discussing this not long ago on this thread. In the US it is common to learn the names of the notes by letter, not by solfege. In solfege as used in the US, there is a "movable DO." This means that if you are playing/singing a song in the key of C, DO is C. If you are in the key of F, DO is F. I have learned thru the expertise of people on this thread that in other countries DO is set at C, no matter the key. In that case,
C = DO
D = RE
E = MI
F = FA
G = SOL
A = LA
B = TI
C = DO

Hope that helps.



Fine and dandy. Keep it coming!

More good questions! As to the first, your conclusion is correct. Some people have bodies that are capable of creating more gorgeous voices than others. In that way, the body IS an instrument. Just as a Steinway grand piano has a much richer, fuller, brighter, wonderful sound than a little boxy spinet piano, or a Stradivarius violin is reputed to have the best sound of all violins. Adam was born with a marvelous instrument. He is able to create amazing resonance in his body. Loads of harmonic overtones that make the tone bright and ringing but never shrill or brittle; and, in his lower register rich and chocolate-y.

I was watching my DVD of Queenbert in London (many thanks to dancygeorgia) and the difference between when Adam is singing and when Roger or Brian are singing is striking. You know the mid-section where Adam takes a break? It almost sounds like their mics are not working correctly, or the settings are messed up (but that's not the explanation. It's about the voice). Then, when Adam comes back on and opens his mouth, I hear such richness, clarity and ping. Night and day.

So, Adam has the physiology to be a great singer. But, without the years of training and practice, he would not be able to access and fully utilize what he has. Just like if you sit down at a Steinway piano and play "Chop Sticks" you cannot appreciate the instrument. Or if you have a mediocre violinist hacking away on a Strad, it doesn't sound good. The technique that Adam uses --- in every song --- is impressive.

As to the quote about a singer's chest, that is also true. In the low and mid registers, the chest is an important resonating chamber. When a singer is trained to use that resonance, their voice sounds richer, fuller, and they can sing with greater power. If you look at the very short clip of Adam as a toddler on the beach (in Behind the Music, I think) you can see that he has a very broad chest, even as a tiny tot. As an adult, he doesn't have broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist. He is broad all the way thru his upper torso. When I watch WWTLF day 3 in London, he starts gently, but continues to power up more and more. In the last chorus, it is like he turned up the controls in his chest to 100%, expanding his torso to the max. I can almost FEEL the expansion in my own body. The power he creates takes my breath away.

With Adam, you add a third component to physiology and technique. He is also an amazing interpreter of music, coloring his voice, bending notes, playing with phrasing, singing with the lightest whisper touch or belting at full power. Training without the right physiology can only produce a nice, consistent, controlled voice. Physiology without training may not even produce that much. But training and physiology without emotion and interpretation, is sterile. Adam is the perfect storm, vocally.

Wow. This got long. I'll answer your question about phrasing in a separate post.

Cassie, I am really ignorant about music, notes, etc. For years now I've been fascinated by all you say about how Adam sings, and this thread is probably my most treasured at Atop. But I never had truly got a lot of what you were saying--until your posts on the previous page. Thank you SO much for finally making me hear what you've been saying all along. I hear it now! Yay! So, first gear is chest. Second is mixed chest and head. Third is head. Right? So my question is about falsetto. Is that the same as head? And if not how is it produced differently(now that I can feel this all in my body now)?

Also, re phrasing: are you saying it is where he pauses/breathes--this is really obvious the impact in WWTLF. Or is it also accenting words? Chestnuts roasting on an open fire-- chest-nuts feels like it is accented differently than we would say that word and also differently within the sentence. Don't know if that makes sense...

Anyway, THANK YOU and the other musicians here for the gift of begining to understand the greatness of AFL!