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Post by sondra on Sept 28, 2007 7:01:59 GMT
Can somebody go into detail about it? I've read that he had an A above a man's high C when he was younger. Not falsetto, but full voice. First of all, what the does that mean, and second, is it true and is it unique?
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Post by Bobber on Sept 28, 2007 7:21:00 GMT
It means he could sing very high notes.! Falsetto is a technique that man use when, for example, they want to speak like a girl. You can train it somewhat, but mostly the sound of the voice with this technique remains somewhat thin, certainly compared to the full (=normal) voice. I don't know if it's true on Paul's account. I know he can sing high notes, but I don't know which notes exactly they are. It is not unique, but it is rare when a man can sing that high.
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Post by fendertele on Oct 2, 2007 6:38:45 GMT
how do you compare maccas voice to matt bellamy of muse, they can both hit the high notes if needed but ive never heard paul go quite as high as when matt hits screechy high hieghts.
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Post by sondra on Oct 2, 2007 7:08:27 GMT
Yeah, Bellamy can get up there pretty high, but can he go as low as Paul too? Also, for some reason Paul's ooo, ooo, ooo at the end of Hello Goodbye came to my mind as an example of hitting an extremely hight note. Probably because I hear that song almost every day on the radio. But it seems to me a pretty high note. I can't get close and I'm a girl. But then, I can't sing! How about you singers out there?
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alexis
I'll Be On My Way
Posts: 447
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Post by alexis on Oct 28, 2007 16:03:55 GMT
I'm not an expert, but I've looked at Paul's range a bit.
He routinely hits the G above middle C, it's one of his favorite rock and roll notes (and keys). It's the note for the words in caps here: AH, KANsas city", and in Clarabella it's: "I GOTTA baBY, CRAzy for me". It's pretty much out of reach for even a lot of professional singers ... John rarely hits it without falsetto or scream.
That "A above middle C" is the one he hits in I Want to Hold Your Hand: "i can't HIDE , i can't HIDE, i cant HIDE". He also hits it in the harmony of Eight Days a Week: "HOLD me, love me, HOLD me, love me". You can hear in both of these how his voice isn't falsetto (like John in the part of Sexy Sady where he goes "Oooooh, ooh woo oooh oooh"), but doesn't sound like a normal man's singing voice either.
Paul also loves to go even higher, another of his favorite Rock and Roll notes is the Bb above middle C. It's the note that start out Long Tall Sally ("GONNA TELL AUNT MARY..."), and "I'm Down" ("YOU TELL LIES ..."). It's also the note in Clarabella in caps: "oh BAby baby". I think it might also be the note in "I'm Looking Through You" where he goes "AND YOU"RE NOWHERE". This is pretty much a note that few male singers can hit without falsetto or screaming (the Journey singer can, and a few others of course).
Paul can go higher still! On "HANDS across the water", that first word is a C above middle C! And I'm pretty sure that in "Oh Darling" and "I've Gotta Feeling" he goes higher still ... to a C# or a D.
Of course he could hit the G TWO octaves above middle C, but that was falsetto ("Whooo!"), not that uncommon for singers.
These are just my random thoughts, I would love to hear from people who are really in the know!
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Post by The End on Oct 28, 2007 18:18:00 GMT
Nice one - cheers for that Alexis
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Post by sondra on Oct 29, 2007 5:49:51 GMT
I'm not an expert, but I've looked at Paul's range a bit. He routinely hits the G above middle C, it's one of his favorite rock and roll notes (and keys). It's the note for the words in caps here: AH, KANsas city", and in Clarabella it's: "I GOTTA baBY, CRAzy for me". It's pretty much out of reach for even a lot of professional singers ... John rarely hits it without falsetto or scream. That "A above middle C" is the one he hits in I Want to Hold Your Hand: "i can't HIDE , i can't HIDE, i cant HIDE". He also hits it in the harmony of Eight Days a Week: "HOLD me, love me, HOLD me, love me". You can hear in both of these how his voice isn't falsetto (like John in the part of Sexy Sady where he goes "Oooooh, ooh woo oooh oooh"), but doesn't sound like a normal man's singing voice either. Paul also loves to go even higher, another of his favorite Rock and Roll notes is the Bb above middle C. It's the note that start out Long Tall Sally ("GONNA TELL AUNT MARY..."), and "I'm Down" ("YOU TELL LIES ..."). It's also the note in Clarabella in caps: "oh BAby baby". I think it might also be the note in "I'm Looking Through You" where he goes "AND YOU"RE NOWHERE". This is pretty much a note that few male singers can hit without falsetto or screaming (the Journey singer can, and a few others of course). Paul can go higher still! On "HANDS across the water", that first word is a C above middle C! And I'm pretty sure that in "Oh Darling" and "I've Gotta Feeling" he goes higher still ... to a C# or a D. Of course he could hit the G TWO octaves above middle C, but that was falsetto ("Whooo!"), not that uncommon for singers. These are just my random thoughts, I would love to hear from people who are really in the know! Cool observations. Just when I think I'm becoming more obsessed with John I go and read something like this and then it's Paul all over again. I don't know why, but the fact that he has such a huge array of talents makes me insane. Not that Lennon didn't, but I just think Paul is crazy gifted. He is IT.
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Post by the carnabys on Apr 4, 2008 10:28:46 GMT
I see several have gone into this subject in more detail already but from what I know, Macca's range was what was unique....
I used to be in a Beatles cover band but I was lead vocal on all songs which meant I had to adapt into Paul / John / Georges style and I certainly found Pauls number more challenging but better suited to my voice.
The middle section of I've Got A Feeling for example is extremely difficult due to the way its both high but also loud and breathless. No two ways about it. He was a genius. Playing some of them bass lines at same time too. Unreal.
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alexis
I'll Be On My Way
Posts: 447
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Post by alexis on Apr 4, 2008 11:21:52 GMT
Hi Carnaby's - Sounds like fun being the main vox in a Beatles cover band! We play a few Beatle's songs in the cover band I'm in (I'd like to do more!), and as we don't have a Bass player yet, I do it with my left hand on the keyboard. I agree, it IS hard to do that kind of stuff and sing. I haven't thought about it much, but I'm guessing that the tough bass/sing things Paul did in the Beatles was mainly overdubs. Do you know of any (probably early?) stuff he did with tough bass lines and singing at the same time? Thanks for your cool comments and perspective
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eppy
What Goes On In Your Heart
Posts: 66
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Post by eppy on Apr 4, 2008 11:49:38 GMT
Being a former Lennon in a Beatles tribute band, I know first hand how difficult it is to get those songs right vocally, I'm in a Mersey beat tribute now so it's not as important to get the same keys, but even now when we do the Beatles numbers we do them in the original Live key, if the songs are lowered in Key for live performance they lose so much vibrancy, that's an easy way to spot a bad Beatles tribute!. I know many Beatles tribute bands and all will tell you the Macca part is the hardest, to play and sing all the right notes at the same time is a skilled effort indeed. I'm not taking anything away from John, but he hated his own voice and always wanted it Double tracked, it was just something with him, his un effected voice heard on many bootlegs is fantastic, but not in his eyes or ear's, John did have a good vocal range and although not as high as Paul's he could sing a ballard and a rocker as good as any by Paul. Its just a shame that he liked ADT so much even up to his death many of his vocals were smoothed in ADT.
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Post by the carnabys on Apr 4, 2008 11:55:12 GMT
Well I am not a bass player myself...but I know that the thign with McCartney bass lines is that they didn't always fit tight with melody and therefore must have made it harder.
For example, I Saw Her Standing There is played at some pace, lots of notes in the bass line and a very energetic vocal performance.
For me, he's the biggest musical genius there has been. The way he could turn his hand to anything is amazing.
For sure there would be overdubs on recordings etc but he did a lot of it live to and still does on his world tours to this day.
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Post by macsgirl on Apr 4, 2008 11:56:20 GMT
Although I am a huge Macca fan, I have always thought John had an incredible voice.
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Post by the carnabys on Apr 4, 2008 12:01:23 GMT
I agree that you've basically gotta do them in the original key else they lose value.
Problem when we was gigging with it was we only really had myself on vocals and one lad did very basic backing vocals so pressure was on me for all of it. For a band that had so many harmonies, I think we did it really well though and we did it to the record as best we could.
So some parts of songs I'd be singing Lennon parts and then on chorus I may switch to the McCartney part. I basically sung the prominant part throughout the songs. It was a good laugh and challenging.
Used to love doing I'm Down and I've Got A Feeling. But was just as enjoyable doing stuff like Rain and Don't Let Me Down. We didn't go for authentic line-up as we was just gaining gig experience before starting our own stuff.
Good times...
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Post by blueblackbird on Sept 7, 2008 17:45:45 GMT
you can really appreciate his wide vocal range in:
-Backing vacals "Oh how long will it take, till she sees the mistake..." Baby's in Black -Backing Vocals on There's A Place -Long Tall Sally in A note (take into account that Little Richard played it in F, quite a large difference) -Oh Darling!, specially this part "When you told me, you..."
that are the main highlights that I remember now
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Post by Michelle Revolution on Sept 9, 2008 21:51:23 GMT
I can't disagree with you there, those are some great examples of Paul's vocal range.
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larosh
What Goes On In Your Heart
Posts: 77
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Post by larosh on Oct 5, 2008 5:43:00 GMT
I've been doing alot of choir stuff this year, so I'm becoming more familiar with the male range and I'm often surprised when listening to Paul and John. Keeping in mind that we don't exactly have experienced singers at my school. It's still impressive.
In any case, I've definitely gained a new apreciation from learning to play guitar. The technique hasn't been too hard for me but coordinating different rhythms in my hands and voice has been the hardest part.
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Post by The End on Oct 6, 2008 21:52:53 GMT
The technique hasn't been too hard for me but coordinating different rhythms in my hands and voice has been the hardest part. I totally agree - I used to really struggle with Twist And Shout. It's all about practice though.
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larosh
What Goes On In Your Heart
Posts: 77
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Post by larosh on Oct 7, 2008 1:25:53 GMT
The technique hasn't been too hard for me but coordinating different rhythms in my hands and voice has been the hardest part. I totally agree - I used to really struggle with Twist And Shout. It's all about practice though. Yup. I force myself through it until comes out right and then run to my mommy saying "Look what I can do!" And she listens and wonders how she ended up with a daughter who is singing Imagine to her a month after she got the guitar. Just eighth note strumming, nothing special. Enough of that. I've found that a good deal of a person's vocal range can come from simply singing alot as you grow up. It's like any other muscle, I suppose: if you excercise it, it develops. That being said, then there's the people who started out with the natural talent, and I think that applies to Paul. The C above middle C is what I'd consider in the lowish soprano area.
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Post by blueblackbird on Oct 7, 2008 1:31:05 GMT
I can hit and F and sometimes F# that's quite low compared to Paul. I think I've got Lennon's range
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Post by hihopes1964 on Jan 5, 2010 20:53:22 GMT
I'm always impressed by his voice on Ticket to Ride!! SO high!!
I'm on okay singer and have no problem getting Paul's high notes (because I'm a girl!.. if I was a man it would be a completely different story) but I sound AWFUL trying to sing his harmony on Ticket to Ride!!! And he can go really low as well. Amazing range.
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