singing as we would speak

Subject: RE: singing as we would speak
From: GUEST,The Sandman
Date: 25 Nov 25 - 05:15 PM

,Thankyou that is interesting my apologies or not makimg my post clearer, I had in mind solo singing

Subject: RE: singing as we would speak
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 25 Nov 25 - 04:33 PM

Pete Seeger, of happy memory,
had two ways of singing, depending on if he was soloing
or harmonizing with the Weavers.

When singing solo, he sang very much as he spoke,
actually a model figure for doing so.
When he took the tenor part in the Weavers' vocal quartet,
he hollered --
and burnt out his voice.

Subject: RE: singing as we would speak
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Nov 25 - 11:53 AM

We are talking about phrasing., and or..Singing like you speak in traditional songs, like in the Irish style of
sean-nós, involves keeping a conversational, natural vocal quality rather than a formal one. To achieve this, focus on conveying the emotion and meaning of the words by maintaining your natural speech rhythm and clarity, using open-throat techniques if appropriate, and prioritizing understandable diction over complex ornamentation. The goal is for the melody to serve the text, not the other way around

Subject: RE: singing as we would speak
From: Jack Campin
Date: 25 Nov 25 - 11:13 AM

Try talking to your friends the same way you'd sing a sea shanty and see what happens to your circle of relationships.

Nobody has ever sung the way they speak in any musical culture.

Subject: RE: singing as we would speak
From: r.padgett
Date: 25 Nov 25 - 04:25 AM

Yes I agree Dick ~ I sing as I speak simply because you are story telling and many people respond to word of mouth and language received rather than the intrusive tunes which can detract from the listening to the evolving story

Added to, Of which I do not play an instrument for which I ever learnt to play chords

Any accompaniment should be to help key and rhythm I understand ~ there are some brilliant players who do help with very good dual presentation of course

Ray

Subject: singing as we would speak
From: GUEST,The Sandman
Date: 25 Nov 25 - 03:55 AM

Style of singing is of course subjective, however it seems that traditional singers sang the songs as they would speak them, should we then approach traditional songs in the same way, as we would speak them. I believe we should , but I am interested to hear other peoples points of view,
this also raise the question of how people accompany traditional songs, bearing in mind they were often unaccompanied, should we make sure that the accompaniment is an accompaniment and does not end up as an accompaniment dictating rhythym and forcing vocals to follow instrument, rather than other way round