Stupid Question for Singers

Pearl Jam and toast

SLH916 wrote:

I'm as curious as Goo about rock singers. I know that I've damaged my voice from singing with bad technique, but I didn't know that you can bring it back.

I know exactly what Goo is talking about with Robert Plant. I was a big fan, and some of those performances are excruciating to listen to, but he sounds better today than he did 20 years ago. On the other hand, I think that Roger Daltrey has never gone through a really bad period, and look at all the screaming he's had to do.

Is it really as simple as just singing from your diaghram and shaping the words correctly? Is it genetics? Is it vocal exercises?

I heard Stephen Stills recently, and it was scary. That is a voice that's going to have to be resurrected from the dead.

I've always wondered the same thing about guys like Daltrey. Add Ed Vedder, Cornell (though he did have a short shit period at the first audioslave album I'm really astonished at how well his voice has held up even with all his problems), and there are plenty of other examples.

Ian or someone with more expertise: Could poor technique and all that half screaming he did in the 70s be more responsible for Bob Dylan's decline than the billions of cigarettes?

Jeanie

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

I've always wondered the same thing about guys like Daltrey. Add Ed Vedder, Cornell (though he did have a short shit period at the first audioslave album I'm really astonished at how well his voice has held up even with all his problems), and there are plenty of other examples.

Ian or someone with more expertise: Could poor technique and all that half screaming he did in the 70s be more responsible for Bob Dylan's decline than the billions of cigarettes?

It's probably a combination but yes, poor technique can result in all kinds of singing problems. Least that's what all of my singing teachers/vocal coaches have always said and also what I have read. But also people's voices change as they age. So it's possible that comes into play also.

ianvomsaal

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

I've always wondered the same thing about guys like Daltrey. Add Ed Vedder, Cornell (though he did have a short shit period at the first audioslave album I'm really astonished at how well his voice has held up even with all his problems), and there are plenty of other examples.
Ian or someone with more expertise: Could poor technique and all that half screaming he did in the 70s be more responsible for Bob Dylan's decline than the billions of cigarettes?

Yes, poor technique can result in vocal problems, but cigarettes are also something to add to the mix, they'll really kill your voice if you're not careful.
However, peoples voices do change as they age/mature - Listen to how Ed Vedder's voice has changed since the TEN album. I know Ed went through a few problems in the Mid 90"s - During my regular session days I had an opportunity to record a tune with PJ (1996 - it must have been a B-side track or something - I haven't heard it since). Anyhow, ED was struggling so much with his voice that day that they asked me to come back the following day to finish up - I don't think he wanted anyone hearing him squawk and hack so much, so he just called it a day. I think he quit smoking for a bit after that - I know he's back smoking so I figure he's bound to have problems again, just give it time.
So, BOTTOM LINE - everything you do can affect your voice - poor technique, cigarettes, lack of sleep, singing while sick, drinking the wrong thing, overuse without proper down time, and a tone of other things.
Have fun, practice proper technique, and stay away from cigarettes.
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

SLH916

Pearl Jam and Toast and I want to thank everyone who has helped us.

First off, Ian, you sang with Ed? Wow! Was he better the second day? I haven't listened to any mid-90's boots. Did he go through a nasty patch during that time and is there a point in time when he improved? He sounds great now.

Second, if you have damaged your voice, will just resting it, bring it back? I think that PJandT and I are both a little worried about it.

Third, do you smoke PJandT?

xtremehardy388

depends on how you damaged it what downtime consists of. Green Tea is a great soother though.

ianvomsaal

SLH916 wrote:

Pearl Jam and Toast and I want to thank everyone who has helped us.
First off, Ian, you sang with Ed? Wow! Was he better the second day? I haven't listened to any mid-90's boots. Did he go through a nasty patch during that time and is there a point in time when he improved? He sounds great now.
Second, if you have damaged your voice, will just resting it, bring it back? I think that PJandT and I are both a little worried about it.
Third, do you smoke PJandT?

No, I didn't sing with Ed . . . I played guitar with the band (that's what I do).
I have a Music Degree in Jazz/Classical Guitar Studies.
Yes Ed was better the 2nd day - said he got some decent rest.
That was in my Studio Troll days - that's all I did - I was a 22yr old studio bum.
No, not just rest alone will bring it back, but getting proper rest, warming up, proper technique, and certain throat sprays can help.
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

Pearl Jam and toast

You can kind of hear how Ed's voice is weak on No Code. It's frail.. a bit pitchy.. And having no expertise really I can tell you why that probably is..

He screamed his ass off for 5 years strait. Simple enough? I don't think he was using quite proper technique on the vitalogy tour either.. which would allude to the fact that his voice got tired and drained towards the end of the 1995 shows but nowadays (and since really) he's been able to go the full length at pretty much full strength.

Yes I smoke :-/. I'd say I smoke too much, but compared to other smokers I'm a lightweight... a pack every 5-10 days.

SLH916

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

Yes I smoke :-/. I'd say I smoke too much, but compared to other smokers I'm a lightweight... a pack every 5-10 days.

Pearl Jam and Toast,

Do you lay off smoking if you know you are going to sing? Does it make a difference?

Watching Ed singing with a cigarette in his hand makes me cringe, but people like Frank Sinatra used to do it all the time, and he sang until he was 80.

Jeanie

SLH916 wrote:

.....Second, if you have damaged your voice, will just resting it, bring it back? I think that PJandT and I are both a little worried about it.....

Not to freak you out, or bring Julie Andrews into it, :eek: but regardless of what you think of her, she is certainly a singer and was one her whole life.
Anyway, she lost her ability to sing entirely after surgery on her voice box.
I've included a link.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2002/langer-andrews.html

SLH916

Jeanie wrote:

Not to freak you out, or bring Julie Andrews into it, :eek: but regardless of what you think of her, she is certainly a singer and was one her whole life.
Anyway, she lost her ability to sing entirely after surgery on her voice box.
I've included a link.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2002/langer-andrews.html

I don't know what to say to that. The Sound of Music was my favorite movie from 1st grade through college. That voice was the soundtrack to my childhood. I hope they can help her.

Pearl Jam and toast

SLH916 wrote:

Pearl Jam and Toast,

Do you lay off smoking if you know you are going to sing? Does it make a difference?

Watching Ed singing with a cigarette in his hand makes me cringe, but people like Frank Sinatra used to do it all the time, and he sang until he was 80.

Well at the moment I'm not singing with any band, so I don't worry about that. I smoke and practice on my normal schedule / frequency. If I was to play a show at this point I wouldn't stop smoking for it because it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. I might be crazy, but I think smoking increased my range (down and up). Though it was probably just natural improvement...

xtremehardy388

Smoking is great way to rip up the voice and get a raspy "Rock & Roll" sound. Julie Andrews is amazing by the way. Anyway, if you wanna have a smoothe voice, I'd lay off the smoking but if you want an 'Ed' or 'Cobain' voice, smokes will deff. help. It's also increased my brothers range from what he says so I gota agree with PJ an Toast.

PJamGrunge10

Well I certainly can notice that smoking has taken a toll on Eddie. When he sings Animal nowadays, he has to take a break in between the "pain" part. He also can't sing Go as intense as he used to, especially the chorus (more specifically when he is saying "me")... but from what I've heard he hasn't sang that song too well since '94...

xtremehardy388

Oh yeah, it's obvious. The studio version of Greivence is shit in my opinion. It sounds better live. You can tell Ed's voice was shit

Jeanie

SLH916 wrote:

I don't know what to say to that. The Sound of Music was my favorite movie from 1st grade through college. That voice was the soundtrack to my childhood. I hope they can help her.

So do I SLH, I think it's just so sad. :(

xtremehardy388

Jeanie wrote:

So do I SLH, I think it's just so sad. :(

I agree, her voice was amazing. Last summer, she was on Good Morning America. She talked about missing singing(it was when they remastered the movie). I think she can sing again though. She sang something on the show but it wasn't high at all

Jeanie

xtremehardy388 wrote:

I agree, her voice was amazing. Last summer, she was on Good Morning America. She talked about missing singing(it was when they remastered the movie). I think she can sing again though. She sang something on the show but it wasn't high at all

Ah that's good news!! I was starting to wonder if we'd ever hear her again. And the thought of her not being able to sing, not for the world, but just for herself, it made me so very sad. I hope she's happy with how it's going. Losing your ability to sing would be like losing your soul I think.

xtremehardy388

I totally agree and Julie Andrews has such a pretty voice. She's such a sweet person too, it's great she's getting her voice back

Pearl Jam and toast

PJamGrunge10 wrote:

Well I certainly can notice that smoking has taken a toll on Eddie. When he sings Animal nowadays, he has to take a break in between the "pain" part. He also can't sing Go as intense as he used to, especially the chorus (more specifically when he is saying "me")... but from what I've heard he hasn't sang that song too well since '94..

See: "Go" Adelaide 2006. Best Version EVER

PJamGrunge10

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

See: "Go" Adelaide 2006. Best Version EVER

How do I get it? :(

Are you sure it can beat Atlanta '94?