Adam Lambert

Gregsynthbootlegs · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:07 pm **Posts:** 600

Mumei wrote:

Gregsynthbootlegs wrote:

Because he DOES hit wrong notes. Do you know what "Key signature" means? Adam hits Eb5 instead of D5. That's not in the fucking key. The song is in B minor. E FLAT DOESN'T BELONG IN THE KEY. You need to stop with the whole "style" thing and look at this thing objectively. HE HITS WRONG NOTES in the song. Ab4 instead of A4 is INCORRECT notes (not a STYLE), hitting B4 instead of C5 is INCORRECT (not a STYLE). Singing FLAT is wrong (not a style). Changing the arrangement would be changing the layout of the song. If Adam hit CORRECT notes but sang the song in his own way, then it's not a problem. Hitting notes half a step OFF is incorrect. He sang off key on the performance, hit wrong notes, went flat, etc. That's a proven fact. My OPINION is that it was bad. The FACT was that he hit WRONG notes and sang flat.

In the abstract (in the particular, the performance was bleh, after all), is it really such a bad thing to go for a higher note? I mean, don't you guys often think it's really great when a singer exceeds a studio performance by going for more difficult notes live than in studio - whether that means higher, more complex runs, sustained longer, or what-have-you? It just seems sort of odd for that to be the real sticking point for you. Or is that only okay if the key for the entire song has been raised or lowered so everything stays 'even' relative to the studio performance?

... Or would it have been okay if he'd gone for a higher note that was within the key signature? Not sure I get your particular complaint.

It's a bad thing, when a singer sings notes not in the right key! If Adam hit embellished notes IN the key of the song (like instead of hitting a B4--he would embellish to a D5), that's perfectly fine (because it's in the key). But Lambert hit notes like Eb5 (which doesn't fit in the key).

Canadiann · **Joined:** Sat Oct 16, 2010 1:35 am **Posts:** 26

I don't post here very often but I do lurk a lot, and I suspect that I'm not alone. I really enjoy the technical discussions about Adam's voice and this is the only place to come for that. That being said, I have some questions that I hope you won't mind answering.

It seems that most people, myself included, agree that Adam's performance of BTIKM on Ellen was superior to his performance on Leno. I am just going by what it sounded like to me because I have absolutely no technical expertise to back up my opinion. However, I would like to know, from a technical standpoint, what makes the Ellen performance better than the one on Leno?

I read somewhere that some of the notes Adam hit during the Ellen performance were incredible and seldom heard. Is that true? If so, what were they and why are they rare? Do you know if Adam has hit those notes before in any performance and if so, where and when?

Thanks.

Leno performance: http://tinyurl.com/85lzvlc
Ellen performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCMhwvss ... er&list=UL

Mumei · **Joined:** Fri Oct 15, 2010 3:32 am **Posts:** 183

Gregsynthbootlegs wrote:

Mumei wrote:

Gregsynthbootlegs wrote:

Because he DOES hit wrong notes. Do you know what "Key signature" means? Adam hits Eb5 instead of D5. That's not in the fucking key. The song is in B minor. E FLAT DOESN'T BELONG IN THE KEY. You need to stop with the whole "style" thing and look at this thing objectively. HE HITS WRONG NOTES in the song. Ab4 instead of A4 is INCORRECT notes (not a STYLE), hitting B4 instead of C5 is INCORRECT (not a STYLE). Singing FLAT is wrong (not a style). Changing the arrangement would be changing the layout of the song. If Adam hit CORRECT notes but sang the song in his own way, then it's not a problem. Hitting notes half a step OFF is incorrect. He sang off key on the performance, hit wrong notes, went flat, etc. That's a proven fact. My OPINION is that it was bad. The FACT was that he hit WRONG notes and sang flat.

In the abstract (in the particular, the performance was bleh, after all), is it really such a bad thing to go for a higher note? I mean, don't you guys often think it's really great when a singer exceeds a studio performance by going for more difficult notes live than in studio - whether that means higher, more complex runs, sustained longer, or what-have-you? It just seems sort of odd for that to be the real sticking point for you. Or is that only okay if the key for the entire song has been raised or lowered so everything stays 'even' relative to the studio performance?

... Or would it have been okay if he'd gone for a higher note that was within the key signature? Not sure I get your particular complaint.

It's a bad thing, when a singer sings notes not in the right key! If Adam hit embellished notes IN the key of the song (like instead of hitting a B4--he would embellish to a D5), that's perfectly fine (because it's in the key). But Lambert hit notes like Eb5 (which doesn't fit in the key).

Thanks for the explanation.

And Canadiann, I sincerely doubt that there's a single note in the Ellen (or Leno) performance that he hasn't hit before.

beyonddeities · **Posted:** Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:54 pm

No, he's hit those notes 100s of times, just been a while that he's done it so cleanly.

queenrosered · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:00 am

Gregsynthbootlegs wrote:

Mumei wrote:

Gregsynthbootlegs wrote:

Because he DOES hit wrong notes. Do you know what "Key signature" means? Adam hits Eb5 instead of D5. That's not in the fucking key. The song is in B minor. E FLAT DOESN'T BELONG IN THE KEY. You need to stop with the whole "style" thing and look at this thing objectively. HE HITS WRONG NOTES in the song. Ab4 instead of A4 is INCORRECT notes (not a STYLE), hitting B4 instead of C5 is INCORRECT (not a STYLE). Singing FLAT is wrong (not a style). Changing the arrangement would be changing the layout of the song. If Adam hit CORRECT notes but sang the song in his own way, then it's not a problem. Hitting notes half a step OFF is incorrect. He sang off key on the performance, hit wrong notes, went flat, etc. That's a proven fact. My OPINION is that it was bad. The FACT was that he hit WRONG notes and sang flat.

In the abstract (in the particular, the performance was bleh, after all), is it really such a bad thing to go for a higher note? I mean, don't you guys often think it's really great when a singer exceeds a studio performance by going for more difficult notes live than in studio - whether that means higher, more complex runs, sustained longer, or what-have-you? It just seems sort of odd for that to be the real sticking point for you. Or is that only okay if the key for the entire song has been raised or lowered so everything stays 'even' relative to the studio performance?

... Or would it have been okay if he'd gone for a higher note that was within the key signature? Not sure I get your particular complaint.

It's a bad thing, when a singer sings notes not in the right key! If Adam hit embellished notes IN the key of the song (like instead of hitting a B4--he would embellish to a D5), that's perfectly fine (because it's in the key). But Lambert hit notes like Eb5 (which doesn't fit in the key).

I'm sorry Greg but Mumei actually phrased MY concern/question much BETTER than I could have.
Where is it written that an entire song MUST stay in THE SAME KEY? To be honest, I heard flatter notes in WWRY and even WATC (though SOME of those flat notes were hit by the back-up singers!) If a musical compisition started in one key should STAY in that key etc...no one ever told Lennon/McCartney THANK GOD! :freak:

I don't care to belabor the point ad infinum and I think others here would appreciate it if we simply agree to disagree on TSMGO.World-wide, per thousands of Tweets, media reviews and comments,etc. I am definitely in the MAJORITY in my opinion of that performance.
Be that as it may..and please don't take this as an attack..it's not...Besides your own claim of "pitch perfect hearing"...what is your specific musical expertise? College grad with a degree in music or specific music training, etc? Is it more extensive than Lambert's training/experience?
Just wondering... :snacks:

queenrosered · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:03 am

Negative Creep wrote:

Has Lambert ever sang Communication Breakdown? I'd like to hear that actually...

I'm sure he'd NAIL it Creep! Funny you mention that because awhile back, on this thread, a few of us made our own "dream lists" of songs we'd like to hear him cover and one of mine was Rush's "Tom Sawyer" Thanks! :tiphat:

Gregsynthbootlegs · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:07 pm **Posts:** 600

I've been involved with music since 1997: I took piano lessons for 7 years, I studied music theory in high school, and participated in jazz/concert/marching bands throughout my middle and high school years. I also compose electronic stuff as a hobby. I DO know what notes belong in what keys. Lets make it simple:

The Show Must Go On is in the key of B Minor (relative minor of D Major). It uses two sharps (F# and C#). Does a D#/Eb fit in that key? NO. Does hitting halfway between Bb and B fit in a key? NO. Does hitting a C5 fit in that key? NO. Adam was OFF-KEY, simple as that. If he was hitting D, B, and C#5 instead, that's in the key! He was hitting notes in the wrong key! That's incorrect notes. You may not hear the wrong notes, but other users on this forum (not just me) can hear them. The VOCAL is supposed to fit in the key of the music (which Adam didn't do on some notes). If the MUSIC was in a different key (either transposed down or up), then Adam would have to sing different notes to fit in the key.

Val Salva · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 1:15 pm **Posts:** 409

Just seems like a bit of nitpicking to diminish a solid performance.

So he missed a couple of notes. Who hasn't done that, especially when they can't hear themselves (as Adam said after the performance)? I noticed Adam doesn't have any ear pieces for the Ellen and Leno performances. Perhaps he was able to hear himself better for those performances.

And the notes towards the end of TSMGO still sound pretty powerful whether he was tossing them off or not.

Gregsynthbootlegs · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:07 pm **Posts:** 600

Val Salva wrote:

Just seems like a bit of nitpicking to diminish a solid performance.

So he missed a couple of notes. Who hasn't done that, especially when they can't hear themselves (as Adam said after the performance)? I noticed Adam doesn't have any ear pieces for the Ellen and Leno performances. Perhaps he was able to hear himself better for those performances.

And the notes towards the end of TSMGO still sound pretty powerful whether he was tossing them off or not.

Well, if you have rabid fanboys/fangirls all over Youtube (not you, or Queenrosered--Don't worry), that like to insult Queen fans/my subscribers over opinions on the performance (and put down Freddie), then I come out of the shadows to be blunt about the performance. It's fun to watch the results! I wouldn't have done that if I didn't see all those insults! Lambert fanboys/fangirls rank among the worst (along with Michael Jackson fans, Justin Bieber fans, etc)!

Val Salva · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 1:15 pm **Posts:** 409

Gregsynthbootlegs wrote:

Val Salva wrote:

Just seems like a bit of nitpicking to diminish a solid performance.

So he missed a couple of notes. Who hasn't done that, especially when they can't hear themselves (as Adam said after the performance)? I noticed Adam doesn't have any ear pieces for the Ellen and Leno performances. Perhaps he was able to hear himself better for those performances.

And the notes towards the end of TSMGO still sound pretty powerful whether he was tossing them off or not.

Well, if you have rabid fanboys/fangirls all over Youtube (not you, or Queenrosered--Don't worry), that like to insult Queen fans/my subscribers over opinions on the performance (and put down Freddie), then I come out of the shadows to be blunt about the performance. It's fun to watch the results! I wouldn't have done that if I didn't see all those insults! Lambert fanboys/fangirls rank among the worst (along with Michael Jackson fans, Justin Bieber fans, etc)!

Well, I can certainly see your point there. Not sure why they would insult Freddie or Queen, that just makes no sense at all. I've said all along I prefer Freddie's studio version of TSMGO to Adam live performance, but I do think he did a decent job with it. It's not an easy song to pull of off. I try to remain objective when I watch a performance by Adam. I definitely respect your opinion, and I do think it is unbiased. I guess it just doesn't bother me as much as it does you that he hit Eb5s instead of D5s.

Gregsynthbootlegs · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:07 pm **Posts:** 600

Val Salva wrote:

Gregsynthbootlegs wrote:

Val Salva wrote:

Just seems like a bit of nitpicking to diminish a solid performance.

So he missed a couple of notes. Who hasn't done that, especially when they can't hear themselves (as Adam said after the performance)? I noticed Adam doesn't have any ear pieces for the Ellen and Leno performances. Perhaps he was able to hear himself better for those performances.

And the notes towards the end of TSMGO still sound pretty powerful whether he was tossing them off or not.

Well, if you have rabid fanboys/fangirls all over Youtube (not you, or Queenrosered--Don't worry), that like to insult Queen fans/my subscribers over opinions on the performance (and put down Freddie), then I come out of the shadows to be blunt about the performance. It's fun to watch the results! I wouldn't have done that if I didn't see all those insults! Lambert fanboys/fangirls rank among the worst (along with Michael Jackson fans, Justin Bieber fans, etc)!

Well, I can certainly see your point there. Not sure why they would insult Freddie or Queen, that just makes no sense at all. I've said all along I prefer Freddie's studio version of TSMGO to Adam live performance, but I do think he did a decent job with it. It's not an easy song to pull of off. I try to remain objective when I watch a performance by Adam. I definitely respect your opinion, and I do think it is unbiased. I guess it just doesn't bother me as much as it does you that he hit Eb5s instead of D5s.

Everybody's ears are different! You'll have some people that can hear everything that's wrong with a performance, then you'll get people who don't notice anything amiss! I'm in a category where I can "turn off" my ears and just listen to a performance. If someone tells me to look a performance and analyze it, I'll study that thing until my ears are blown out! Some people have told me "how can you listen to live performances?" I tell them "I can 'turn off' my ears." That kind of analyzation really helps me when I do Youtube projects. My ears are set to "singer's intonation" mode (that's the first thing I notice when I listen to performances). Some people are guitar experts, and can tell you everything about a guitarist's live performance, some people are professional singers, and can tell you everything about technique!

Val Salva · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 1:15 pm **Posts:** 409

Gregsynthbootlegs wrote:

Val Salva wrote:

Gregsynthbootlegs wrote:

Val Salva wrote:

Just seems like a bit of nitpicking to diminish a solid performance.

So he missed a couple of notes. Who hasn't done that, especially when they can't hear themselves (as Adam said after the performance)? I noticed Adam doesn't have any ear pieces for the Ellen and Leno performances. Perhaps he was able to hear himself better for those performances.

And the notes towards the end of TSMGO still sound pretty powerful whether he was tossing them off or not.

Well, if you have rabid fanboys/fangirls all over Youtube (not you, or Queenrosered--Don't worry), that like to insult Queen fans/my subscribers over opinions on the performance (and put down Freddie), then I come out of the shadows to be blunt about the performance. It's fun to watch the results! I wouldn't have done that if I didn't see all those insults! Lambert fanboys/fangirls rank among the worst (along with Michael Jackson fans, Justin Bieber fans, etc)!

Well, I can certainly see your point there. Not sure why they would insult Freddie or Queen, that just makes no sense at all. I've said all along I prefer Freddie's studio version of TSMGO to Adam live performance, but I do think he did a decent job with it. It's not an easy song to pull of off. I try to remain objective when I watch a performance by Adam. I definitely respect your opinion, and I do think it is unbiased. I guess it just doesn't bother me as much as it does you that he hit Eb5s instead of D5s.

Everybody's ears are different! You'll have some people that can hear everything that's wrong with a performance, then you'll get people who don't notice anything amiss! I'm in a category where I can "turn off" my ears and just listen to a performance. If someone tells me to look a performance and analyze it, I'll study that thing until my ears are blown out! Some people have told me "how can you listen to live performances?" I tell them "I can 'turn off' my ears." That kind of analyzation really helps me when I do Youtube projects. My ears are set to "singer's intonation" mode (that's the first thing I notice when I listen to performances). Some people are guitar experts, and can tell you everything about a guitarist's live performance, some people are professional singers, and can tell you everything about technique!

You are a valuable asset to DDD with those ears. I'm grateful for them, because I actually go back and try to hear what you hear, and often I am able to!

A dissenting point of view is most certainly welcome (when there is no malicious intent). In fact, I love it, when I am able to learn from it.

Gregsynthbootlegs · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:07 pm **Posts:** 600

Well, I try to be objective as possible! I'm not dissing Lambert or anything. I think he's a fantastic singer, but there's some performances which I don't personally rate high! If you want to know my favorite Lambert performance, it's that Fantasy Springs 2010 show he did! Absolutely nailed the songs!

Val Salva · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 1:15 pm **Posts:** 409

Gregsynthbootlegs wrote:

Well, I try to be objective as possible! I'm not dissing Lambert or anything. I think he's a fantastic singer, but there's some performances which I don't personally rate high! If you want to know my favorite Lambert performance, it's that Fantasy Springs 2010 show he did! Absolutely nailed the songs!

Yeah, I think most of here know you are objective, even with Freddie. The evidence is the less than stellar performances of his (Freddie) you've shared with us. I think Queenrosered was at fanasy springs, right? One of my favorite Adam performances is from Gridlock (Whole Lotta Love), and yes, I did notice he was off key, especially at the beginning, but I still think it is was a phenomenal performance.

Egor · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:59 pm **Posts:** 254

cwcalaska wrote:

Adam was on Twitter yesterday making some comments and answering questions about singing technique. Probably had read one too many reviews talking about his "falsetto" in BTIKM: (I managed to put these in time order not Twitter order, so read from top down!)

Quote:

a lil music education moment: FALSETTO. It's not full, belted out chest voice. It's small, light pretty head voice. Widely misunderstood. :)
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 21h

...not to b rude - but it's so often used to describe my voice but I hardly ever use my falsetto. Jus' sayin'
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 21h

One of my fav examples of a wicked falsetto is "Kiss" by Prince. A full tenor chest voice is "Open Arms" by Journey. get the distinction?
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 21h

“@lestermendez: @adamlambert BUT, when you do sing falsetto, its pure and utter win!” hahah thanks Lester!!
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 21h

@nrhgardner naw I don't do much of a mix. (prob would be 'safer' for my voice, but..)
In reply to Nick Gardner [asked if Adam uses mixed voice when he belts those high notes]
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 21h

Haha this is fun. All you singers know exactly what I'm talking about.
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 21h

@PersianGlamDr on the last album i used falsetto in Broken Open, A Loaded Smile and the "eyes baby eyes" part of Music Again.
In reply to morvarid ma
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 21h

@CazGlambert_ only when it's high and really light. If its powerful and loud it's called a "belt" "full" or "chest voice".
In reply to **Caz Kelly** [thought falsetto was when voice went really high]
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 21h

@AhhhAdam yes. Good example. The "nervous" line. But the big "look right thru me aaaaand..." was a belt.
In reply to AhhhAdam
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 20h

BTIKM is def not falsetto. It's fuckin high! Def tricky. :) but it feels so great to wail that out. Cathartic.
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 20h

The difference isn't so much about the note being hit, it's HOW it's being hit. Bass/alto/tenor/soprano are vocal ranges.
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 20h

Ok. Nuff of all that. I'm such a nerd.
Adam Lambert Adam Lambert @adamlambert 20h

I know there's been talk in here at times about his use of chest voice, mixed voice, head voice.

I think a visual of this would be helpful as well.

Adam Lambert

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