The most impressive high notes I have ever heard (from a baritone no less)

matt53

I have recently discovered what an enormously talented and skilled singer Tom Jones is. Even though he is a baritone (like Ken), he easily soars WAY into tenor territory with AMAZING control and technique (like Ken). In this video he hits amazing G#5 screams, semi-operatic A4, Bb4s and even a SUSTAINED D5 WITH VIBRATO at the end. This is the kind of singing that I aspire to, and it appears he is using open throat technique with light mask in his lower notes.

Here's a hint: he's not a metal singer

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xfy6lv_tom-jones-i-ve-been-loving-you-too-long_music

highmtn

These are awesome performances!

Cool version with Plant, Beck, Burke, and Jones!

 

When my band gets requests for it, I do a dramatic Tom Jones' Green, Green Grass of Home that always brings the house down.

I can get REAL baritone-y down low in the beginning and take it REALLY HIGH for the ending.

 

Lots of fun!

 

Bob

 

 

matt53

I second that request, Bob. One of the great things about being a baritone is having that low extension. I used to wish I was a tenor voice type but that all changed when I started listening to high baritone voices such as Tom Jones and Roger Daltrey. Tom Jones basically made me proud to be a high baritone and shows what is possible if you have that voice type and proper technique and training. IMO his 4th and 5th octave notes have much more weight and are much more pleasurable to listen to than Robert Plant, whose extreme high notes are often shrill and lack the control that Tom's do. If you take the time to listen to Tom Jones' repertoire as I have (cheesy as some of it may be), you will find that he can sing ANY genre of music and sing it amazingly. It's a shame that he is known more for the panties thrown at him onstage than his incredible vocal abilities.

highmtn

I surprise people by the low notes I sing on some songs and then the high ones on another, and sometimes within the same song.

When we play the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' , I start the song out on the Bill Medley part and it's almost where my voice bottoms out.  I make my voice as deep and low as I can with a low larynx and pursed lips.  The second half of the song, I switch vocal parts with the Keyboard player and take the high gospel head voice notes that Bobby Hatfield would sing all the way to the ending of the song. 

Some people refer to me as the little guy with the BIG voice.   

 

Bob

matt53

That's awesome, Bob. I love that song by the Righteous Brothers, and it's cool that you can sing BOTH parts well. If I'm not mistaken, Roger Daltrey was also known in his early days as the little guy with the big voice.

highmtn

Ha,ha!

   "I don't care what the rest of the forum thinks, unless they agree with me... "

@cgreen, you just made me do the haha exercise!!!

; ^ )

 

Bob

 

matt53

Apparently, Tom Jones went to a vocal teacher early in his career to learn how to take care of his voice. She eventually told him that she didn't want to teach him any technique because his vocal coordination was already "perfect." So yes, like sports or any other field, there are the enormously gifted "naturals" in singing as well.

However, there is alot to be said about people who enter the world of singing with little talent or skill, and develop themselves into amazing singers through countless hours of practicing with the right technique. Unfortunately, it seems that society values "talent" more than dedication and hard work.

matt53

I also remember reading somewhere that Ronnie James Dio grew up listening to opera and attributes his powerful singing voice to playing the trumpet when he was younger. I realize that listening to opera and trumpet playing alone a great singer does not make, but it's interesting to see how these great singers started out. I also saw an interview with David Lee Roth where he said he learned to sing by singing along with his records (rock'n roll and blues) and simply "pushing" his voice as high as he could. Makes alot of sense when you listen to him sing, as most of his non-scream notes just sound like him belting in a very chest-dominant type voice. Kind of like how one sounds when doing Ken's Lah Ooh Oh exercise.

highmtn

As long as "pushing" is a gentle, unstrained stretch, that's probably a reasonable approach.  Don't let a gentle push come to shove, though.  You'll regret it.

matt53

Unfortunately, David Lee Roth's voice is only a shadow of what it used to be, much like Robert Plant. I guess he pushed it a little too much. However, I have been sifting through Van Halen's recent live performances and there are several where he does sound decent. I just don't recommend anyone watching his recent performance of "California Girls" with the Beach Boys....

matt53

Here it is if anyone wants to hear Diamond Dave doing his thing with Mike Love from the Beach Boys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYP447lKlDE

XD

matt53

I think David Lee Roth and Robert Plant need to enroll in KTVA XD

matt53

@streeter, I checked out Steel Panther and it seems to me that Michael Starr sounds alot like a cross between David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar. Which is awesome.

highmtn

Yes.  Shorter people sing at a lower elevation, and therefore the atmospheric pressure is greater than the elevation at which taller people sing.  Hence the greater compression and the higher notes are easier to reach at the lower elevation.

; ^ )

Bob

 

highmtn

I see what you mean about sounding a bit McCartney-ish in the first tune... I've never heard that cut before.

 

 

 

 

matt53

For a (seemingly) high baritone, Roger Daltrey pulls off that McCartneyish low tenor timbre really well. He's definitely in my top 3 list of favorite singers. When's Ken going to do a "How to Sing like Roger Daltrey" video?

matt53

Yeah I think Roger Daltrey is different enough from the other singers Ken's covered to merit his own instructional video. His voice is somewhat of a chesty, gritty, open-throated roar with a surprising amount of warmth to his sound. Sometimes it's obvious that he's just screaming on pitch but that's part of his appeal. Those screams he does are legendary.