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Post by benjamin on Jun 10, 2010 15:45:47 GMT
Paul was a very high tenor and had the highest vocal range of all the Beatles. John, George and Ringo were all baritones. John could go up to about an F#, maybe a G on a good day, and in This Boy he hits an A ("but oh MY-y-y-y"). However recordings from rehearsal show that it took him quite a while to get used to belting this note without breaking.
For a tenor, the coveted "ultimate" note is the tenor C; the C above middle C. Even opera tenors have to go through rigorous training to get this note out in full voice with a clear and non-damaging sound. I can sing up to the A above middle C- this is a strain for me, a low tenor, but Paul busts it out all the time: "My love does it GOOOOOD", "tomorrow when we both abandon soRROOWWWW", "it makes me wanna CRY!", "feeling you holding me TIGHT, TIGHT YEAH", "what's the use of anyTHIIING."
In short, Paul has an absolutely enormous range. There's a video of them recording and rehearsing Hey Jude on youtube where he sings the "na na na" bit an OCTAVE HIGHER for a laugh. That means he starts on the F# where Lennon's range ends, goes to a Bb on the second "na", to a C# on the third, and finishes on the G# ABOVE the tenor C. While it's screamy and not exactly a very pure note, that is quite astonishing. The phenomenon occurs at 2:14 into the video.
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Post by The End on Jun 10, 2010 17:03:03 GMT
Thanks Benjamin, great insight
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Post by benjamin on Jun 10, 2010 18:00:05 GMT
No problem. Being a semi-pro choral singer and a Beatles fanatic, I find their vocal ranges and different techniques very interesting and so when I saw this thread I had to reply!
Paul did describe his vocal technique for the Little Richard-style screamers like "I'm Down" and "Long Tall Sally" and "Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey", in the Barry Miles biography Many Years From Now. He says something along the lines of "I found that type of singing interesting. You had to actually sing out of yourself, go about a foot above your head to sing it. It's a neat little trick once you discover it." It is interesting to hear an untrained singer speaking about the way he gets to the high notes.
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Post by mrmustard on Jun 11, 2010 8:42:15 GMT
Hi Benjamin, very interesting. It's great to see a trained singer appreciate McCartney belting it out at the top of his range. I am a singer also but more self trained and more in the rock blues vane. I once had some singing lessons from a trained operatic singer - a saprano. She had me singing Moon River and similar songs. After a couple of weeks of this I took along the Abbey Road album and asked her to listen to Oh Darling and Golden Slumbers and said that's what I wanted to sing like. I came back the following week and she said that those two songs the singer was straining too much and I should try Octopus's Garden!
May be it was a comment upon my singing! My point is I have come across a lot of 'proper singers' who have had extensive training who kind of sniff at the likes of McCartney belting songs out at the top of his range and beyond so it's refreshing to hear a choral singer having so much respect for this style of singing.
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Post by benjamin on Jun 11, 2010 9:07:02 GMT
In honesty, she might have been right. Do you know your range? It can be damaging for a singer who doesn't have such an extensive top range to try and scream up there, especially if they are younger and their voice hasn't sorted itself out yet. Obviously it's okay for natural high tenors like Paul because they can get up there without any problems. Golden Slumbers isn't too taxing I don't think- I could probably sing that one without too much of a problem- but Oh! Darling would certainly leave me with a hoarse voice if I pushed it too much.
Also interesting to see that Paul's range has not decreased too significantly over the years- at 67 or so he still belts out the "you've got to give the other fella HELL" high C when he played Live and Let Die live!
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Post by Amadeus on Dec 12, 2011 17:30:51 GMT
I love playing The Fireman "Nothing Too Much...." to my Soundgarden, LedZep friends.
Also, listen to "Oh Woman, Oh Why" to hear that dynamic upper rock range.
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henryj
For A Number Of Things
Posts: 792
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Post by henryj on Jan 1, 2012 3:14:09 GMT
Paul was definitely a tenor. He would have been great to have in the group just for singing the top harmony parts, never mind his songwriting and bass playing are some of the very best.
Ironically, the "bass" on "I Will," from the White Album, is his voice, not his Hofner or Ric.
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Post by mayojohnny on Jul 7, 2012 23:27:14 GMT
Although I am a huge Macca fan, I have always thought John had an incredible voice. I agree with this. I'm prepared to say, even as a male, he is the only person I've ever heard sing who can bring a tear to my eye. And I actually put it down to his voice because the songs don't bring back any bad memories or anything; they were before my time. Perhaps it is because sometimes I think about his death, and how sad it was. And as for the original post on Paul, I think listening to his harmony on Baby's In Black is a great example of his high-end prowess.
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Post by ROCKY on Jul 9, 2012 0:58:28 GMT
I remember Little Richard saying he was always amazed at how high Paul could sing like in the song Kansas City.
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ctiger
And That's A Start
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Post by ctiger on Aug 27, 2012 7:19:36 GMT
Paul was a very high tenor and had the highest vocal range of all the Beatles. John, George and Ringo were all baritones. John could go up to about an F#, maybe a G on a good day, and in This Boy he hits an A ("but oh MY-y-y-y"). However recordings from rehearsal show that it took him quite a while to get used to belting this note without breaking. For a tenor, the coveted "ultimate" note is the tenor C; the C above middle C. Even opera tenors have to go through rigorous training to get this note out in full voice with a clear and non-damaging sound. I can sing up to the A above middle C- this is a strain for me, a low tenor, but Paul busts it out all the time: "My love does it GOOOOOD", "tomorrow when we both abandon soRROOWWWW", "it makes me wanna CRY!", "feeling you holding me TIGHT, TIGHT YEAH", "what's the use of anyTHIIING." In short, Paul has an absolutely enormous range. There's a video of them recording and rehearsing Hey Jude on youtube where he sings the "na na na" bit an OCTAVE HIGHER for a laugh. That means he starts on the F# where Lennon's range ends, goes to a Bb on the second "na", to a C# on the third, and finishes on the G# ABOVE the tenor C. While it's screamy and not exactly a very pure note, that is quite astonishing. The phenomenon occurs at 2:14 into the video. Sorry Bro but John hits a high D in "I'm so Tired"...the man was a beast just like Paul. See 0:46
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Post by mrmustard on Aug 27, 2012 21:10:14 GMT
Sorry Bro but John hits a high D in "I'm so Tired"...the man was a beast just like Paul. See 0:46 Yes, but John Lennon reached this in falsetto which is not what we are talking about here. We mean full voice without ultra screaming or falsetto. So sorry, defo Paul!
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Post by The Sun King on Aug 28, 2012 16:48:55 GMT
Hi all Paul was a tremendous singer. He incorporated every style imaginable.Had incredible range His harmonies with John & George are the stuff of legend. Unfortunately his voice is now gone (Olympic opening ceremony). He is 70 after all. But we will always have the records to remind us how fantastic he was. Peace to all
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ctiger
And That's A Start
Posts: 4
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Post by ctiger on Aug 28, 2012 21:32:59 GMT
[/quote]
Yes, but John Lennon reached this in falsetto which is not what we are talking about here. We mean full voice without ultra screaming or falsetto. So sorry, defo Paul![/quote]
Dude that is not falsetto, he is screaming at full volume. He does falsetto a lot, his best being at the end of Happiness Is A Warm Gun, but not here.
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Post by mrmustard on Aug 28, 2012 21:36:18 GMT
Yes, but John Lennon reached this in falsetto which is not what we are talking about here. We mean full voice without ultra screaming or falsetto. So sorry, defo Paul![/quote] Dude that is not falsetto, he is screaming at full volume. He does falsetto a lot, his best being at the end of Happiness Is A Warm Gun, but not here.[/quote] It's not D dude.
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ctiger
And That's A Start
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Post by ctiger on Aug 28, 2012 22:53:34 GMT
What is it then? It's at least a C. My point was that he was being severely underrated when the guy said he could get a G on a good day. Simply not true.
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ctiger
And That's A Start
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Post by ctiger on Aug 28, 2012 22:54:32 GMT
oh and way to switch arguments so readily...
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