leoroberts
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Posts: 24,567
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on May 9, 2014 13:53:20 GMT
I believe it's all but impossible to sing a song with blue notes convincingly in an English accent. Anyone care to prove me wrong? Is that, like, a challenge? Middle Class White Man Blues
(particularly thread specific so probably not much point posting it in The Plucky Duck - though it would give some of the new folks on here an idea of just how low the standard can be)
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Post by delb0y on May 9, 2014 13:58:42 GMT
Superb!!
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on May 9, 2014 14:04:11 GMT
I believe it's all but impossible to sing a song with blue notes convincingly in an English accent. Anyone care to prove me wrong? "Can blue men sing the whites, Or are they hypocrites . . ." (Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band)
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Post by thejamsinger on May 9, 2014 14:20:15 GMT
I don't think it really matters what accent you sing in as long as its in the right key. I was once asked to join a male voice choir. When I replied that I didn't think I had a good enough voice, his reply was that we can all sing it's just that some sing in different keys to others.
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Post by wildworld on May 9, 2014 15:57:22 GMT
Well if Simon and Garfunkle can sing Scarborough Fair in an American accent I can sing owt I like in broad Lanky so thur: but I bet I wouldn't sell as many records.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on May 9, 2014 17:14:20 GMT
Good stuff Leo. I think you should do a whole set of your songs at HB5. Keith
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Post by wildworld on May 9, 2014 18:08:29 GMT
In the interests of science I thought I'd provide the raw material to enable a proper and scientific comparison to be made. So here's a version of Thwarted in my natural accent. As I said previously I'm over in Gloucester, so there's a very slight West Country twang to this version, but other than that is there a lot of difference? soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12784779Cheers Derek This is fantastic -much much better than t'other. More please
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leoroberts
C.O.G.
Posts: 24,567
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on May 9, 2014 19:40:11 GMT
In the interests of science I thought I'd provide the raw material to enable a proper and scientific comparison to be made. So here's a version of Thwarted in my natural accent. As I said previously I'm over in Gloucester, so there's a very slight West Country twang to this version, but other than that is there a lot of difference? soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12784779Cheers Derek Oy loyks that, Oy do
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Post by curmudgeon on May 22, 2014 14:44:59 GMT
As previously said - it depends upon the source and genre of your songs. Further, it depends on the region of the music you are playing. I am English (and proud of it) and speak with a fairly middle class "estuary English" accent (if those two are possible) but I sing in an Americana trio playing mostly South-Western (Texas) style singer-songwriter material, and I also sing in a bluegrass band.
It is pointless to sing anything in a failed or mid-Atlantic accent - it must sound genuine. Therfore, in the bluegrass band my "accent" must be from (at least) a south-eastern accent, preferably a Kentucky or "Appalachian" accent, whereas with south-western - I'd tend to go for west Texan influences as I've sent more time there than north or east Texas.
BUT - if it sounds phoney - it doesn't work, which is why - without aping or copying blindly - it is worth listening to the pronunciations used by the artists that you most admire when singing music from a particular region.
This is important to me, and I'll tell you one thing that happened to me - I was involved in a North Texas music festival back in 2005, and did a spot in front of a Texan crowd. A guy came up to me and asked where I was from - and, of course, I answered England - he looked puzzled and said - "er, I meant, whereabouts in Texas 'cos ah coudn' quite get it! - You ain't from Texas ??"
His confusion might have been partly because that festival was normally for Texan born performers only (although it was just a few miles south of Oklahoma)and they decided to do a fun "ritual" first to make me an honorary Texan!
The other thing is - don't "ham it up" - you don't need y'alls and stuff - just inflections and pronunciations.
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