Singing American

[Armistice]

I went to great effort last album to sing Australian, because for whatever reason, my natural inclination is to sing with some American vowel sounds. I still missed one, I realised after it was too late to do anything about it.

So I'm finally off my Australian arse, as opposed to ass, and recording again and thinking "That'll do!" after a couple of nights of tracking various vocals and harmonies for this new song, and then I realise as I'm listening to it all and thinking about how to mix it, that in every single take I sing, in the first line, the word "last" pronounced in the US fashion, instead of "larst" as we Australians tend to pronounce it.

And I probably could have lived with it because no-one but me notices these things, except that the word reappears in the "larst" verse and I sing it as "larst" because I made a mental note to sing it that way at the time.

Sigh.

Oh, and I hate my voice. As usual. Maybe if I bury it in reverb and shove it way down in the mix...

[vomitHatSteve]

How much do you open your mouth when you sing? They generally teach wide mouth in choirs for clear vowels (and breath support)

[Greg_L]

Why is it that so many non-Americans take on an American sound when they sing? Is it from listening to American music so much? I always liked how british punk and new wave bands actually sound british. Not that they could really sing well even if they wanted to, but they never tried to sound American.

[CrowsofFritz]

I have a very weird accent when singing. A mix of Appalachia and North Central American.

[Armistice]

Why is it that so many non-Americans take on an American sound when they sing? Is it from listening to American music so much? I always liked how british punk and new wave bands actually sound british. Not that they could really sing well even if they wanted to, but they never tried to sound American.

I really don't know, but it's very common. And it's not trying to sound American - for me, anyway - it's just what seems to happen automatically. It's got to have something to do with having listened to so much American music for decades, and probably also playing it - I haven't been in a covers band forever now, but I've been in a few over the years, as a singer, and there was a lot of American stuff in various set lists. You really have to adopt the accent then, or it just sounds wrong. Obviously a habit I've picked up over the years. Plus I know a million acoustic guitar versions of all the old favourites. Same there.

I mean, it'll take me all of 5 minutes to retrack the line - no big deal at all, it was more of a "Fuck, how did that happen?" thing.

[Armistice]

How much do you open your mouth when you sing? They generally teach wide mouth in choirs for clear vowels (and breath support)

Good point, and I didn't really know the answer to this because I never thought about it and can't watch myself singing. Then when I had one of those videos of a couple of years ago done where I was being filmed, and I was miming obviously, but in quite close up as it turned out, I saw to my horror that I was basically singing out of the corner of my mouth and not opening very wide at all.

It looked nice and snarly in the video, which was good - no-none wants to look like they're singing in a choir in a video clip - but I suspect you're right. I shall try to open up wider next time.

[Armistice]

I have a very weird accent when singing. A mix of Appalachia and North Central American.

I'd heard of Appalachia in the past, but didn't really know where it was, and then you mentioned it the other day, and then for some strange reason, various things I've been reading online mentioned the book Hillbilly Elegy, which comes from that region, I believe. So it's everywhere just now...

[CrowsofFritz]

I have a very weird accent when singing. A mix of Appalachia and North Central American.

I'd heard of Appalachia in the past, but didn't really know where it was, and then you mentioned it the other day, and then for some strange reason, various things I've been reading online mentioned the book Hillbilly Elegy, which comes from that region, I believe. So it's everywhere just now...

Is the Baader Meinhof phenomenon.

[Armistice]

I'd heard of Appalachia in the past, but didn't really know where it was, and then you mentioned it the other day, and then for some strange reason, various things I've been reading online mentioned the book Hillbilly Elegy, which comes from that region, I believe. So it's everywhere just now...

Is the Baader Meinhof phenomenon.

Yeah - i can't wait to see where it crops up next.

[rayc]

It's like stutterers singing without out the stammer I suppose.
It's part of the DNA of singing rock n roll - like playing cowboys n Indians as kids in the early 60s - replicating TV/movies/comics after beig saturated by them.
Rest assured I'd have noticed as well David. I may not have mentioned it in a finished piece though.
On the rare occasion I "sing" I struggle to sing I.

[JD01]

I think its party down to a lot of music sounds like it has an American accent and, intentional or otherwise you ended up copying it a bit. Also a lot of the words sound more rounded in American so the whole thing seems to flow better. So it's probably a combination of the two things working together.

[rayc]

Mind you some Victorians, particularly Melbournians, say castle rather than carstle and other atrocious regionalizations.

[Armistice]

Mind you some Victorians, particularly Melbournians, say castle rather than carstle and other atrocious regionalizations.

I have this discussion over Newcarstle, north of Sydney as you know, on a regular basis. Often I'm told that it's Newcastle because that's how it's pronounced in England where I assume the name comes from. But our version is definitely Newcarstle, so they should damn well pronounce it that way... I'm not sure I've changed anyone's mind yet...

Mind you, I say darnce, rather than dance, so I'm hardcore on the long a sound...

[rayc]

I'm with you on darnce too.

[Lt. Bob]

if you want to sound American just say guns every third word and quote the most ridiculous conspiracy theory you can find ..... and then close with 'praise the lord'.

[Greg_L]

if you want to sound American just say guns every third word and quote the most ridiculous conspiracy theory you can find ..... and then close with 'praise the lord'.

That's country music.

[vomitHatSteve]

if you want to sound American just say guns every third word and quote the most ridiculous conspiracy theory you can find ..... and then close with 'praise the lord'.

That's country music.

Which, if my couchsurfers are to be believed, is huge in Australia. So no help for armi there.

[JD01]

if you want to sound American just say guns every third word and quote the most ridiculous conspiracy theory you can find ..... and then close with 'praise the lord'.

Haha.
Also, I watch a fair bit if kids TV these days. The theme tunes (usually Brilliant, particularly Peter Rabbit) are always sung American... so I guess it's ingrained from an early age.

[Lt. Bob]

if you want to sound American just say guns every third word and quote the most ridiculous conspiracy theory you can find ..... and then close with 'praise the lord'.

That's country music.