Music Forum / Singing...

I used to be in a bass clef singing thing at a highschool and all anyone thought was good were these perfect pitch, perfect tone, and perfect vowel singers. I don't see it that way. I think the best thing about a singer is their style and how unique their voice is. This is why i prefer dave matthews, creed, alanis, matchbox 20, etc. over any "cookie cutter" singer who can simply hit all the high notes.
I hate the fact that this society would accept the seperation of music making and music playing, a TRUE artist is one that can be fluid with the proccess on their own, who can sing without a piece of paper in front of them, in their own voice.

What is your take on it? What makes or breaks a singer for you?

having a voice that will stay the same tune as they scream like an idiot and being able to keep a beat.

Well it can vary to what music it is. In my music (Extreme) it would be to keep at the right speed, to have a deep roar and to hold that roar for the longer the better.

Singing is a joke because you must be born with it, you cannot attain it with practice and dedication.

Singing is for retards.

To be quite honest, a singer must be good looking for me. If they aren't (Thom Yorke), I can't _truly_ like their singing.
Also important is the style like Blitz already mentioned. They have to be able to give you a certain impression about their personality which has to be interesting itself.
Whether he or she does actually have a good voice is minor important to me. Today you can make ANY voice sound good anyway.
Finally, the band or group has to be non-commercial. That automatically makes them interesting for me. There are a few exceptions like... say Robbie Williams or Madonna who both don't really have a voice but have what I described above.
My most favourite singer ever: Jon Thor Birgisson

[font="tahoma"]To be quite honest, a singer must be good looking for me. If they aren't (Thom Yorke), I can't _truly_ like their singing.
Also important is the style like Blitz already mentioned. They have to be able to give you a certain impression about their personality which has to be interesting itself.
Whether he or she does actually have a good voice is minor important to me. Today you can make ANY voice sound good anyway.
Finally, the band or group has to be non-commercial. That automatically makes them interesting for me. There are a few exceptions like... say Robbie Williams or Madonna who both don't really have a voice but have what I described above.
My most favourite singer ever: Jon Thor Birgisson[/font]

Strange.

If they should be uncommercial, why do they need to be good looking? If you want to see them on MTV, then they aren't uncommercial, if you want to see them live, their voice is much more important than their appearance (as long as they don't playback - but what's the point of a concert then?).

IMO a good singer is one who is able to put his feelings into his voice; the voice itself isn't that important. It helps if he/she is a good frontman, but it isn't needed.

MfG
BG

If they should be uncommercial, why do they need to be good looking? If you want to see them on MTV, then they aren't uncommercial, if you want to see them live, their voice is much more important than their appearance

MTV isn't the only medium where you can see them.
And the appearance of my favourite singer is basically the most important thing about a live concert for me honestly.

To be quite honest, a singer must be good looking for me. If they aren't (Thom Yorke), I can't _truly_ like their singing.

Thom Yorke? Not good looking?

I cannot fathom such a thought.

And the appearance of my favourite singer is basically the most important thing about a live concert for me honestly.

That's sad.

To be quite honest, a singer must be good looking for me. If they aren't (Thom Yorke), I can't _truly_ like their singing.

But that's what's fun about Thom Yorke. He looks goofy, and he sings goofy. Watch him spazzing out on stage during a song, it's hilarious and it makes Radiohead a fun band to watch for me.

I don't know what I like from singers. I guess I just like a unique voice or a unique delivery. A lot of bands sort of blend together but you get a band with a distinctive vocalist (Billy Corgan, Dave Matthews, Thom Yorke, Maynard James Keenan, Serj Tankian etc.) and the band really stands out. It's sort of a polarizing force. The vocals tend to be the first thing people hear and if the vocals are typical then every body can sort of like but if they're unique or strange than some will love it and some will hate it. That's always been how I define my favorite bands as the ones that stand out. It's the ones that have a uniqueness about them that some don't like but for whatever reason I really enjoy.

Are you talking about what makes a good singer or what makes a good artist?

Most of what you described (ie. being unique, and not reading from a piece of paper) is a good musician. Somebody with a good pitch and can nail every note, and can actually make you feel the mood of the song, is a good signer. In my oppinion, Celine Dion (sp) is one of the best singers out there. I don't buy her music, because I don't perfer that genra of music, but if she were to ever release a pop song, it would be incredible!

Frankly, I just like the music. If it sounds good, I like it. I can care less if it's written by career song-writers, and performed by a synthisized "sell-out". I can care less if a band is "manufactured" for the sake of profit. I can care less about any of the tabloid drama that takes place behind the scenes of any of these celebrities. None of that makes a difference to me, so long as the music is good.

If a garage band comes out with a good song, and a major record label comes out with a better one, I'll go with the record label. My ears can't tell the difference.

I don't buy her music, because I don't perfer that genra of music, but if she were to ever release a pop song, it would be incredible.

Celine Dion makes nothing but pop songs...

Most of what you described (ie. being unique, and not reading from a piece of paper) is a good musician. Somebody with a good pitch and can nail every note, and can actually make you feel the mood of the song, is a good signer.

No, they're a skilled vocalist. But being a skilled vocalist doesn't make you a good singer. To me, what makes a good singer is simple: does their voice work with the song, and improve the song, in and of itself?

If not, then what's the point of having them sing on it? There isn't one. And as such, they're a bad singer, for that song. To me, nothing else matters.

To be quite honest, a singer must be good looking for me. If they aren't (Thom Yorke), I can't _truly_ like their singing.

But that's what's fun about Thom Yorke. He looks goofy, and he sings goofy. Watch him spazzing out on stage during a song, it's hilarious and it makes Radiohead a fun band to watch for me.

Spaz out? More like epileptic seizure.

God, those fucks better as hell tour the US this year. And not in a circus tent, this time, either.

A singer must be good at just that, singing, they need to have a wide note range, and be able to go from high to low notes at quick speed, and hold notes for adequate time

They don't necessarily need to write good music, they just need to be able to sing what they write well, I don't consider singers as musicians if that is all they do, to be a musician, I feel you must write, or at least affect the music you are singing, or playing, and not just read it and play it. You must be at least capable of writing your own things..

I do not consider Britney Spears, Pink, N'Sync, BSB etc. as musicians, not just because I hate them, but because they are tools of record corporations, who do not write their own music, chereograph their own dancing, play their own instruments, or even sing on their won, most of what you hear has been done over with a computer (and in many cases, accompanied with a synthesizer), though I would consider them singers, because they do sing, they are on a border though, with all the editing done to their voices.

Anyway, I could name people I consider singers, but its the people I consider GOOD singers that get my money for their albums.

They don't necessarily need to write good music, they just need to be able to sing what they write well, I don't consider singers as musicians if that is all they do, to be a musician, I feel you must write, or at least affect the music you are singing, or playing, and not just read it and play it. You must be at least capable of writing your own things...

You don't have to be able to write music to be a singer. You don't have to have any musical talent (note wise, pitch wise on the other hand...) to be a singer, of course this helps. A coulple of things that will help to be a singer are: to have a good ear for music, picking out cerntain notes within the song to know what pitch to come in on; to be able to stay to the same scale you are singing on (for those of you Americans, I know you've heard in some sporting event or another the National Anthem start in one key and end in another); having rythem, most people have it anyways; and knowing what will sound good, and how you will make it sound. I don't care how many variations of voice waivers you throw in to a song, if the melody doesn't sound good in the first place, please, don't go on.

My favorite singer is James LaBrie (Dream Theater). He really adds to the already amazing, incredibly talented band. He can pull the high notes, yet still add feeling and meaning to the songs.

On a side note: Being "converted" to a drummer over the past 3 years, it's really hard for me to concentrate on the lyrics and vocals in a piece. I always find myself tapping out rhythems with the beat and paying attention to the set's part rather than listening to the guitar and singer.

I like singers who sing as if no-ones watching them (eg Alanis Morisette whose right hand kind jerks around at her side ALL THE TIME and her mouth is bigger than her face).

I like singers who have the stage presence so they can just smile and still keep you interested (eg Wayne Coyne who stands there smiling like a clown surrounded by pink bunnies and fake blood and you just can't stop watching him).

I like singers who are easy to sing along to.

And, finally, I like singers who sing in tune when they need to but sing out of tune when they want to. Makes it more interesting that way.

The whole 'distinctive voice' is a plus, but when it's annoying, like Billy Corgan, it just grinds. Someone like the singer out of Sigur Ros is great cos he sounds really weird but really cool at the same time.

well, of course anytime someone has a distinctive voice, some people will like it, and some will hate it...
thats just the way things go luv ^_~
*smoochies mantis*

Celine Dion's song selection is fine. It's the fact that she sings through her nose that bugs me.

Appearance means very little when it comes to all of today's neo-soul and vocal jazz. Lauryn Hill, Joan Baez, Jill Scott, Janis Joplin, Chaka Khan, and ehh... Joan Jett are some talented singers that don't exactly have the "Look of Touch."

i guess i can sing.

Appearance means very little when it comes to all of today's neo-soul and vocal jazz.  Lauryn Hill, Joan Baez, Jill Scott, Janis Joplin, Chaka Khan, and ehh... Joan Jett are some talented singers that don't exactly have the "Look of Touch."

Oh yes she does. *dreams*

Blitz - yeah sure whatever *huggles*

You wish Pym.

Metalhead Mortician

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