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Western Pop Singing Diction
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Author:  Steven Kaplan [ Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:38 am ]
Post subject:  Western Pop Singing Diction
Some of the most amazing pop musicians I've heard have been from the Philipines.
In fact SOME don't speak a word of english.  One band MEMO a Philipino band impersonated our words. memorized the sounds.. NOW.. I suggested to Jian (realizing that different areas in the east will not have as easy a time with western pop vocal diction as other eastern countries) that one of his songs was VERY good !  What hung him up was difficulty pronouncing some of our words..

Does anybody know of a means that can help a person from an eastern country with english pop singing diction ?
Author:  OperaKitty [ Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Diction in singing is something I am RIDICULOUSLY particular about - a lot of singers are just plan lazy when it comes to diction.

One trick for diction is to use a British accent - upper class, not cockney...*lopsided grin*  A British accent is a little more...precise, I guess - especially when singing since you hole vowel sounds longer.  As you get comfortable with it, you can soften it until you get to a more American sounding accent.

Spelling things out phonetically, and then just taking the time to carefully pronounce them, slowly at first, until you are comfortable with the way it feels, and then taking it "up to speed."  This will give you muscle memory for the correct pronunciation.

If you ever get the chance to listen to the Complete Symphonic Recording of Les Mis, give a close listen to the Eponine - Kaho Shimada.  She was in the Japanese cast and didn't speak a word of English.  She re-learned the role phonetically, and you can barely detect her accent.
Author:  oneofakind864 [ Mon Nov 26, 2007 4:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
OMG Kitty - take a look at what I said to Kappy in his vocal timbre 101 thread. you just echoed it! LOL.....Should have know a classical girl like you would!

Kappy...I wish I could help...I got offered 5000 per week to teach a japanese band how to have soul. When I heard then and had one phone coversation and found out they couldn't make the TH sound- like in there, three, with etc- I had to decline. I had a french friend that also had the same problem. There might be someone out there who can get it across- but it isn't me.  :(  But to be fair- there were some french sounds that I never got the hang of either. It's all good- but that IS impressive that a phillipino badn managed to do it!
Author:  OperaKitty [ Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
We seem to be pretty much on the same wave-length with stuff, Paula... :wink:

Glad to see you back, BTW...was wondering where you got off to... :)
Author:  Steven Kaplan [ Tue Nov 27, 2007 12:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Quote:
I got offered 5000 per week to teach a japanese band how to have soul.


(They can't speak a word of engris,  but they've gots the "Shizzle Speak" down perfect !) LMAO

seriously tho,
How can you "teach" that ?  You have them watch tapes so they can assimilate what they are seeing, and learn inflection movement, and expression.  You can't explain to somebody how to "be like Teddy Pendergrass" singing love TKO..  You show them a performance.
Author:  Jian [ Tue Nov 27, 2007 12:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Many Eastern language have no 'th' as in 'the' or 'this'. Dos is pronounce as 'da'' and 'dis'. This one is even harder" si sel se sel by da se so.

So you see why I find it hard to sing in English. :yes:
Author:  jdmeister [ Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Whut?  LMAO
Author:  oneofakind864 [ Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Quote by Jian Many Eastern language have no 'th' as in 'the' or 'this'. Dos is pronounce as 'da'' and 'dis'. This one is even harder" si sel se sel by da se so.

So you see why I find it hard to sing in English.



:rotflmao: HOWL!!!!!!!! LMAO
Author:  Steven Kaplan [ Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Quote:
si sel se sel by da se so.



How much do they cost ?

Quote:
Whut?  


It's you Westerners I can't understand !
Author:  paddyboy [ Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Hi Kappy....I sure couldn't help you with that one but I would like to add this. I was visiting my brother who lives in Thailand a few years back and he took me to this place in Bangkok where night street life abodes. (Venders, beggars, prostitutes, bars, live music...and it was all outside. There was this live band made up of "Thai's", (4 guys) that were playing our western music as they did every night there and I was amazed.....not at there diction necessarily, although for not speaking a word of English while communicating, while singing it was very good, but they did Creedence, Elvis, Beatles, Country Music and lots of other artists music that was so very close in the notes they sang and the notes they played that it blew me away. They are a very impoverished (although happy, kind and peaceful) people over there for the most part but these guys were perfectionists in their emulation of western music.

When they sang, you would have thought they spoke fluent English but in reality, couldn't speak hardly a word of it.

PS  I dedicated a song to you Kappy for being so generous with your tax return to me the other day.  LOL....It's called   "Ravishing Ruby"  Later  :))) Pat   aka paddyboy
Author:  Steven Kaplan [ Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Much appreciated.  I've already heard and commented !

In 1981, I sat in with a Philipino band MEMO two or three times at a nearby Holiday Inn Lounge, while their english was pretty much limited to Hi and Thank you, and even those terms were tough to annunciate for them,  If a person just listened to their music,  you would think they are as english speaking as you and I..

At one time this was explained to me,  Singing, and talking utilize opposite sides of the brain.  For this reason many that stutter, can sing with no problem... So effort expended and conscious effort talking (during conversation) are different than "mimicing' which I think uses the creative part of the brain ?   Something like that..  I don't recall, and I'd have to look this up.
Author:  paddyboy [ Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Yes, like Me..me..me......Mel Tillis.  LOL  :) Pat
Author:  Steven Kaplan [ Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Pat,


  Didn't he actually write "Ruby, Don't take your love to town" ?  Love that song, WOW, talk about powerful songs !   Although Kenny Rogers is the only person I recall singing it.
Author:  paddyboy [ Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
I don't know who wrote that Kappy but this fella on here....oh, I'm so bad with names does only Kenny Rogers songs and he sounds very close to Kenny. Check it out.

Also, It's not cowboyvern that does the other Tom T Hall song on here it was....see, there I go again forgeting these names. Just do a search on Tom T Hall. There is only two Hall songs on this site.  :) Pat
Author:  Steven Kaplan [ Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Western Pop Singing Diction
Will do Pat,   Thanks !
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