Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

Register Log in

[Music] Singers who read the words while singing



WATFORD zero

WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
25,767
On the Roxy Music documentary last night Bryan Ferry was reading the words to 'In Crowd' whilst performing it.

Is it just me that gets wound up by this ? It's one of your biggest hits FFS

The Guitarist/Pianist etc has to remember the chords and licks, very few drummers sight read. Bloody singers have one job to do - REMEMBER THE F***ING WORDS

Particularly when that song has made them a good few quid

....and relax ???
 




Publius Ovidius

Publius Ovidius

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
46,002
at home
It takes a hell of a lot to sing without words being available.

I have sung many times in concerts requiems etc, and a few years ago we had a young conductor who asked us to do faure’s requiem a Capella. It took four months to learn it and we did 4 concerts and the only problem with not having the score to look at is keeping in tune and more importantly if someone goes wrong, which 99.9999% of singers, professional or otherwise do, it’s so difficult to pull it back as you suddenly doubt if it is you going wrong or another voice!

Most singers have the lyrics available, or guitarists have the chords listed on a piece of paper stuck to the top of the guitar.

Btw. Most singers as well as having ear buds to mute the sound have auto tune playing a fraction of a second off the beat....quite an art if you can do it
 


GT49er

GT49er

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2009
46,706
Gloucester
Publius Ovidius said:
Most singers have the lyrics available, or guitarists have the chords listed on a piece of paper stuck to the top of the guitar.
Click to expand...

Most of us have the chords (and words) taped on the top of the guitar? Absolute bollox! Most of us would die of shame if we couldn't manage without that!
 


F

Fungus

Well-known member
NSC Patron
May 21, 2004
7,045
Truro
It's not a BF song, so it wouldn't have made them as much money as their original work.
 


WATFORD zero

WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
25,767
Publius Ovidius said:
It takes a hell of a lot to sing without words being available.

I have sung many times in concerts requiems etc, and a few years ago we had a young conductor who asked us to do faure’s requiem a Capella. It took four months to learn it and we did 4 concerts and the only problem with not having the score to look at is keeping in tune and more importantly if someone goes wrong, which 99.9999% of singers, professional or otherwise do, it’s so difficult to pull it back as you suddenly doubt if it is you going wrong or another voice!

Most singers have the lyrics available, or guitarists have the chords listed on a piece of paper stuck to the top of the guitar.

Btw. Most singers as well as having ear buds to mute the sound have auto tune playing a fraction of a second off the beat....quite an art if you can do it
Click to expand...

I can understand singing in a choral situation with other voices in a second language. But even I know the words to In Crowd !

And I have known lots of musicians and the only ones to use music (in my experience) are brass players and they are a bit weird anyway. Trying to organise brass players is like trying to herd cats. And listing the chords for a 2 hour set would need a bloody big guitar.

How do you make a guitarist go quiet ?
Put a sheet of music in front to them.

How do you make a guitarist shut up ?
Put notes on it.

What do you say to a baritone sax player with a gig ?
Big Mac and fries please.
(substitute trombone if necessary)

I thank you
 
Last edited:




DavidinSouthampton

DavidinSouthampton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 3, 2012
16,569
Confidence? It's a different field, but I am a qualified preacher, and I never ever lead a service and get to the Lord's Prayer without making sure I have the words of it open in front of me.

Yes, I know it off by heart and have recited it, studied it and thought about it particularly for 25 years plus of my total 65 years, and knew it anyway for the previous 40 years, or most of them, to, but you never know when you might "dry up".
 


WATFORD zero

WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
25,767
DavidinSouthampton said:
Confidence? It's a different field, but I am a qualified preacher, and I never ever lead a service and get to the Lord's Prayer without making sure I have the words of it open in front of me.

Yes, I know it off by heart and have recited it, studied it and thought about it particularly for 25 years plus of my total 65 years, and knew it anyway for the previous 40 years, or most of them, to, but you never know when you might "dry up".
Click to expand...

I think that's almost as bad, have you no pride ? ...........Oh :wink:
 


M

METALMICKY

Well-known member
Jan 30, 2004
6,053
Going off at a slight tangent but one thing that really grinds my gears is when in a live show the cameraman focuses on the wrong guitar player when a solo is being played. FFS how difficult is it to get someone who can spot the obvious.

Ozzy Osbourne regularly performs live with an autocue! Probably so out of it he can't even remember the words to Paranoid!
 






Spiros

Spiros

Well-known member
Jul 9, 2003
2,360
Too far from the sun
WATFORD zero said:
On the Roxy Music documentary last night Bryan Ferry was reading the words to 'In Crowd' whilst performing it.

Is it just me that gets wound up by this ? It's one of your biggest hits FFS

The Guitarist/Pianist etc has to remember the chords and licks, very few drummers sight read. Bloody singers have one job to do - REMEMBER THE F***ING WORDS

Particularly when that song has made them a good few quid

....and relax ???
Click to expand...
I thought most drummers struggled to read anyway :)
 








T

timbha

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
9,884
Sussex
The Albion are clearly up there with the best in showing the words to GOSBTS, just in case some of us have a momentary memory lapse
 






Two Professors

Two Professors

Two Mad Professors
Jul 13, 2009
7,617
Multicultural Brum
If James Marshall can forget the words to Purple Haze on live Top of the Pops,all critics should just STFU,and that's shouting!
 






Two Professors

Two Professors

Two Mad Professors
Jul 13, 2009
7,617
Multicultural Brum
GT49er said:
Shutting the f*** up is not shouting, rather the exact opposite, shirley?
Click to expand...

:lolol:Sorry,it was me shouting,but quietly in case I upset the mod who banned me from the Brexit thread!
 




M

Muzzy

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2011
4,786
Lewes
Having recently returned from Nashville, almost all of the singers had a little clip on phone holder on their mic stands with phones attached. I assumed this for lyrics but wasn’t certain.
When I was out giggling and forgot words (it happens) I’d generally repeat a previous verse. I never got picked up by anybody that had realised.
Although if I’m at a gig and a performer does use my old tricks, I ALWAYS notice!

I’m currently learning guitar and piano and trying to sing whilst playing an instrument is damn difficult so I can understand musicians having a back up to assist.

Anyways, if you asked me to sing every song I had ever performed I doubt very much I would remember all the words even though I might have sung the song a thousand times before. Maybe it’s an age thing [emoji6]
 




You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here