Carrie at the Opry Aug 18 & 19

[RenegadeChaser]

Are we taking her comment about it being too hard to sing a bit too literally? I think she was thinking of something to say to introduce the song, and that's what came out.

She has many songs with similarly challenging high notes, so she probably picks and chooses between them (vs. playing them all during a set) and feels SS is a ballad she can cut.

Just speculation, ofc.

Regardless, super interesting to read about the musicality of it all, Melissa. Thanks for the insight! Did you notice any improvements in her delivery from her preparation for TSOM? I think I remember reading she had some sort of vocal training at this time.

 

[MelissaD]

Are we taking her comment about it being too hard to sing a bit too literally? I think she was thinking of something to say to introduce the song, and that's what came out.

She has many songs with similarly challenging high notes, so she probably picks and chooses between them (vs. playing them all during a set) and feels SS is a ballad she can cut.

Just speculation, ofc.

Regardless, super interesting to read about the musicality of it all, Melissa. Thanks for the insight! Did you notice any improvements in her delivery from her preparation for TSOM? I think I remember reading she had some sort of vocal training at this time.

Thanks for the reply! Love your username, btw. Takes me back!

Yeah, Carrie mentioned that she briefly worked with a vocal coach in preparation of TSOM live. But she indicated that the express purpose of the endeavor was to reduce some of her signature country-inflected twang to align more with the vocal style required of Maria. This involves things like reshaping the mouth and refining the articulation of vowels to influence the tone and enunciation/accenting. So, sadly nothing that would have changed the course of her actual vocal delivery beyond this context.
As I've discussed many times on here, the thing that would be most valuable to her is working on strengthening the transitional points in her range where the placement of resonation shifts. It's about developing the ability to sing through those areas without breaks, cracks, and undesirable changes in tonal quality. To achieve this, you need to coordinate your breath support, vocal cord tension, and resonance adjustments as you ascend or descend through the passaggio. This allows a singer to expand their range and maximize the quality of production at both ends of it. Carrie will NEVER do this because the only way to develop this technique is through repeated exercises and scales that strengthen these muscles gradually over time. It has a cumulative impact. Carrie openly talks about not doing warmups (I mean, what warmups can one possibly do if they refuse training and don't have the guidance on what specifically to do anyway?) even before shows. You really think she's going to sit there practicing scales using these modification technique on her own time? Will never happen, unfortunately.

At the beginning of the CP era, she spoke about it:

However, she did not hire a vocal coach to make sure that her voice was back on par for the record.

She revealed: “No, the only time I have ever sought a vocal coach’s counsel was when I was doing The Sound Of Music, and that was because it was a completely different kind of music and I wanted to be respectful of what I was singing, as much as possible and try to get some of my twang out. But not during anything else. I feel like you just kind of have to find your way through it. I don’t like it when people try to tell me how to sing, because it should be natural.”

Source: https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/carrie-underwood-interview.html

 

[FanSince04]

Thanks for the reply! Love your username, btw. Takes me back!

Yeah, Carrie mentioned that she briefly worked with a vocal coach in preparation of TSOM live. But she indicated that the express purpose of the endeavor was to reduce some of her signature country-inflected twang to align more with the vocal style required of Maria. This involves things like reshaping the mouth and refining the articulation of vowels to influence the tone and enunciation/accenting. So, sadly nothing that would have changed the course of her actual vocal delivery beyond this context.
As I've discussed many times on here, the thing that would be most valuable to her is working on strengthening the transitional points in her range where the placement of resonation shifts. It's about developing the ability to sing through those areas without breaks, cracks, and undesirable changes in tonal quality. To achieve this, you need to coordinate your breath support, vocal cord tension, and resonance adjustments as you ascend or descend through the passaggio. This allows a singer to expand their range and maximize the quality of production at both ends of it. Carrie will NEVER do this because the only way to develop this technique is through repeated exercises and scales that strengthen these muscles gradually over time. It has a cumulative impact. Carrie openly talks about not doing warmups (I mean, what warmups can one possibly do if they refuse training and don't have the guidance on what specifically to do anyway?) even before shows. You really think she's going to sit there practicing scales using these modification technique on her own time? Will never happen, unfortunately.

At the beginning of the CP era, she spoke about it:

However, she did not hire a vocal coach to make sure that her voice was back on par for the record.

She revealed: “No, the only time I have ever sought a vocal coach’s counsel was when I was doing The Sound Of Music, and that was because it was a completely different kind of music and I wanted to be respectful of what I was singing, as much as possible and try to get some of my twang out. But not during anything else. I feel like you just kind of have to find your way through it. I don’t like it when people try to tell me how to sing, because it should be natural.”

Source: https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/carrie-underwood-interview.html

I like her response. Let her sing

 

[MelissaD]

I like her response. Let her sing

Most people that don't take an interest in learning the technical mechanics of singing and understanding the consequences and limitations imposed by such failures to observe them would agree with you, including Carrie herself. So, you're in great company!

 

[Hil]

Are we taking her comment about it being too hard to sing a bit too literally? I think she was thinking of something to say to introduce the song, and that's what came out.

She has many songs with similarly challenging high notes, so she probably picks and chooses between them (vs. playing them all during a set) and feels SS is a ballad she can cut.

Just speculation, ofc.

Regardless, super interesting to read about the musicality of it all, Melissa. Thanks for the insight! Did you notice any improvements in her delivery from her preparation for TSOM? I think I remember reading she had some sort of vocal training at this time.

You're probably right. She just randomly made untrue comments lol I personally don't care either way, but I'm pretty sure if she said it's hard to sing, its hard to sing to an extent for her. There's also the fact that she may like other songs better personally, and this is just another one of those songs that are hard to sing, but pretending she doesn't know what she's talking about or lying is a little silly. This entire convo is a little silly IMO.

 

[countrymusicfan15]

I’m curious which artists have taken measures to protect their voice. Because to be honest, I don’t think anyone has ever sounded as good as Carrie does at her age lol like all artists seem to start having to rest their voice more or sound noticeably different but with Carrie, she only seems to get better.

 

[MelissaD]

You're probably right. She just randomly made untrue comments lol I personally don't care either way, but I'm pretty sure if she said it's hard to sing, its hard to sing to an extent for her. There's also the fact that she may like other songs better personally, and this is just another one of those songs that are hard to sing, but pretending she doesn't know what she's talking about or lying is a little silly. This entire convo is a little silly IMO.

IMO, it's even more silly to deny clear evidence to the contrary of something she said just because you're a fan. Quite frankly, I thought this was a level of idolatry and voluntary suspension of logic and reasoning abilities that we've all outgrown by now as an aging fan base. Her lack of technical awareness and training has not only been obvious through other statements she's made in her career, but also by her own admission as she's articulated it herself time and again. So, I'm not sure why it seems entirely outside the scope of possibility that she could be mistaken on something of this nature. The best part is that this isn't even about what she said this time, though. If it "feels" more difficult for her for one reason or another, that's something really only she can speak to. We're not inside her throat while she's singing it. Perhaps her placement and shaping of the vowels on the top notes in that particular song make them feel more difficult for her than when she hits and sustains the exact same tones in other songs that she wouldn't consider a problem. There are multiple factors that can explain such a phenomenon, but clearly, the common thread is not the "range" of the song by itself, and that was something suggested by a user in this very thread, NOT by Carrie. I hope you realize this. & I supplied sufficient evidence in more than one form that unequivocally disproves this idea and should have already set it to rest. Yet you're still clinging to the falsehood based on misinformation that wasnt even actually stated by Carrie herself. So your point here is moot, no offense. And for the love of God, nobody alleged she was "lying" .... c'mon, we're all older now, this kind of overdramatization and speculation about other fans' intentions is so beneath us at this point. This isn't 2009. Let's not.

 

[MelissaD]

I’m curious which artists have taken measures to protect their voice. Because to be honest, I don’t think anyone has ever sounded as good as Carrie does at her age lol like all artists seem to start having to rest their voice more or sound noticeably different but with Carrie, she only seems to get better.

The woman has mutant lungs. God-given talent, simply put. It also helps that she's incredibly physically fit and is so diligent and methodical about working out and maintaining healthy habits in her lifestyle choices. One engages more than just the throat muscles when singing if you're familiar with the different resonating chambers in the body. This can absolutely 100% account for why she still has such impressive stamina. At this point she also knows exactly what her current strengths are and how to play to them. She has definitely become less vocally ambitious on her more recent material though, this is absolutely undeniable. And it could indicate that she recognizes changes that have occured with her voice over the years and this is how she chooses to mitigate any further adverse effects from impacting her singing in the immediate future. Her limitations, however, are a product of the choices she makes. It's important to recognize that these are not NATURAL limitations of her voice. There are ways she could surpass these limitations by miles. That's what I'm talking about. Talent is innate. But the kind of knowledge and discipline it takes to overcome her weaknesses is something that anyone can learn. That's why I emphasize the fact that it's a CHOICE. And with the natural talent and ability she has, the sky would truly be her sole limit if she undertook such guidance. That's all I have left to say on the topic. Good night.

 

[Hil]

IMO, it's even more silly to deny clear evidence to the contrary of something she said just because you're a fan. Quite frankly, I thought this was a level of idolatry and voluntary suspension of logic and reasoning abilities that we've all outgrown by now as an aging fan base. Her lack of technical awareness and training has not only been obvious through other statements she's made in her career, but also by her own admission as she's articulated it herself time and again. So, I'm not sure why it seems entirely outside the scope of possibility that she could be mistaken on something of this nature. The best part is that this isn't even about what she said this time, though. If it "feels" more difficult for her for one reason or another, that's something really only she can speak to. We're not inside her throat while she's singing it. Perhaps her placement and shaping of the vowels on the top notes in that particular song make them feel more difficult for her than when she hits and sustains the exact same tones in other songs that she wouldn't consider a problem. But clearly, the common denominator is not the "range" of the song, and that was something suggested by a user in this very thread, NOT Carrie herself. & I supplied sufficient evidence in more than one form that unequivocally disproves this idea and should have already set it to rest. Yet you're still clinging to the falsehood based on misinformation that wasnt even actually stated by Carrie herself. So your point here is moot, no offense. And for the love of God, nobody alleged she was "lying" .... c'mon, we're all older now, this kind of overdramatization and speculation about other fans' intentions is so beneath us at this point. This isn't 2009. Let's not.

The only person taking this seriously is YOU. lol I thought we did outgrow this nonsense, and the person i replied to suggested it's "just something she said." You're right, she sings wrong, the song is easy, and we're all making things up. I'm over this nonsense. Happy labor day weekend y'all. Go have fun and enjoy yourselves, seems like some need it.
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TEE!!!! You won't see this, but whoohoo

 

[MelissaD]

The only person taking this seriously is YOU. lol I thought we did outgrow this nonsense, and the person i replied to suggested it's "just something she said." You're right, she sings wrong, the song is easy, and we're all making things up. I'm over this nonsense. Happy labor day weekend y'all. Go have fun and enjoy yourselves, seems like some need it.
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TEE!!!! You won't see this, but whoohoo

Haha, if you want to trivialize and reduce the entire conversation to fodder for fueling a false narrative, then keep manipulating away. But you obviously either didn't read or didn't understand the post you quoted since I said nothing of the sort.

 

[countrymusicfan15]

The woman has mutant lungs. God-given talent, simply put. It also helps that she's incredibly physically fit and is so diligent and methodical about working out and maintaining healthy habits in her lifestyle choices. One engages more than just the throat muscles when singing if you're familiar with the different resonating chambers in the body. This can absolutely 100% account for why she still has such impressive stamina. At this point she also knows exactly what her current strengths are and how to play to them. She has definitely become less vocally ambitious on her more recent material though, this is absolutely undeniable. And it could indicate that she recognizes changes that have occured with her voice over the years and this is how she chooses to mitigate any further adverse effects from impacting her singing in the immediate future. Her limitations, however, are a product of the choices she makes. It's important to recognize that these are not NATURAL limitations of her voice. There are ways she could surpass these limitations by miles. That's what I'm talking about. Talent is innate. But the kind of knowledge and discipline it takes to overcome her weaknesses is something that anyone can learn. That's why I emphasize the fact that it's a CHOICE. And with the natural talent and ability she has, the sky would truly be her sole limit if she undertook such guidance. That's all I have left to say on the topic. Good night.

Awesome! Thanks for the detailed response. Then I would hope maybe she’s doing some behind the scenes vocal training that we just don’t know about lol I appreciate all your insight on the topic!

 

[Hil]

Haha, if you want to trivialize and reduce the entire conversation to fodder for fueling a false narrative, then keep manipulating away. But you obviously either didn't read or didn't understand the post you quoted since I said nothing of the sort.

I honestly didn't read anything but the first line. I shouldn't have come across as being rude to you, it wasn't my intention. I just think it's a little weird for people to act like a professional singer has no idea if a song is hard or not to sing. If Adele said a song is hard for her to sing, I wouldn't dismiss it as just something she's saying for no random reason. I understand you have knowledge about vocals. All I was saying is that Carrie said it's hard to sing, so she must feel that way. That's it. it has nothing to do with me being a fan or not. If Taylor said a song is hard to play, why would I question her lol

 

[MelissaD]

I honestly didn't read anything but the first line. I shouldn't have come across as being rude to you, it wasn't my intention. I just think it's a little weird for people to act like a professional singer has no idea if a song is hard or not to sing. If Adele said a song is hard for her to sing, I wouldn't dismiss it as just something she's saying for no random reason. I understand you have knowledge about vocals. All I was saying is that Carrie said it's hard to sing, so she must feel that way. That's it. it has nothing to do with me being a fan or not. If Taylor said a song is hard to play, why would I question her lol

Well, you should read it then, because I specifically said, "If it 'feels' more difficult for her for one reason or another, that's something really only she can speak to. We're not inside her throat while she's singing it. Perhaps her placement and shaping of the vowels on the top notes in that particular song make them feel more difficult for her than when she hits and sustains the exact same tones in other songs that she wouldn't consider a problem. There are multiple factors that can explain such a phenomenon, but clearly, the common thread is not the "range" of the song by itself, and that was something suggested by a user in this very thread, NOT by Carrie."

I simply refuted the idea that the range of the song is wider than most of her other songs, such as Cry Pretty since I saw it was mentioned. That was literally all. It wasn't an attempt to delegitimize her position on the song's level of difficulty. I even explored some alternative reasons as to why she might feel the same note is more difficult in one song than in another. But it's not simply a matter of range. That was the main takeaway I intended anyone to get from this conversation, and it was in response to what another member said about sheet music which was invalid. Carrie apparently only said the song was difficult to sing and left it at that. She didn't go into why. So I wasn't discrediting anything she said.