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Post by Q3 on Feb 4, 2017 23:33:41 GMT -5
Adam says he cannot read music. I believe him. Does he know something about a printed score? Probably. He can see that the notes go up or down. He may know that the solid black notes are faster than the white notes with a black outline. And that the black notes with little flags on them are faster than those without. He may even know that pp means very softly, and ff means very loudly. That is not actually reading music, to me. If one can read music, one can look at a score with no words and no title, (for example the melody to "Bohemian Rhapsody" or the national anthem, or "White Christmas") and identify it. One can look at a totally unknown piece of music, be given a starting pitch, and sing/hum the unknown melody correctly, with the correct rhythm. From what Adam has said, and his brother has said, Adam cannot do that. ...... Just because Brian May is a consummate musician on guitar, I wouldn't expect him to also be a master at the violin. Just because Michael Jordan was an incredible basketball player, I wouldn't expect him to also be a skilled gymnast. Just because Adam Lambert is the best male singer of his generation, I don't expect him to read music and play an instrument. ITA with you!! And on Michael Jordan, we have proof, he tried and failed to become a professional baseball player. **** On wanting Adam to learn to play guitar, do we really want him to become a WGWG (white guy with guitar)!!
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Post by bamafan on Feb 4, 2017 23:54:13 GMT -5
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Post by adamrocks on Feb 4, 2017 23:54:22 GMT -5
ITA with you!! And on Michael Jordan, we have proof, he tried and failed to become a professional baseball player. **** On wanting Adam to learn to play guitar, do we really want him to become a WGWG (white guy with guitar)!!
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mszue
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Post by mszue on Feb 5, 2017 0:25:43 GMT -5
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mszue
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Post by mszue on Feb 5, 2017 0:35:12 GMT -5
Little Pharaoh really does seem to have won the puppy lottery doesn't he
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Post by Craazyforadam on Feb 5, 2017 1:32:37 GMT -5
So we disagree on the guitar question, and agree on the music reading one. Fine. I am not expecting that everyone agrees, but it would help to get our terminology in sync, rather than say the same thing and make it sound like there is an actual difference.
I wrote earlier that knowing what a quarter note is does not mean you can reproduce music accurately (whatever the instrument). I compared it to chess, where knowing that a bishop moves diagonally, which is easy to learn, does not mean you are immediately a good chess player. Cassie basically stated the same thing, just saying that to her "reading music" means the latter, means being able to play, rather than just knowing terminology. Q3, you make it sound like you disagree with me, but you restate exactly what I said about my own dismal piano learning experiences, and not being able to play, even though you understand the semantics of a music sheet. Sorry to hear you had similarly traumatic experiences learning piano in earlier life, but I certainly can relate.
As Cassie says and you do too, Adam cannot, we believe, sing a melody accurately off a sheet. We agree on that one too, we also all said that it is not necessary to be able to do that, especially in pop.
So, I don't really see where the whole drama is.
Now we seem to disagree on the guitar a bit. I think it would help him write music, ground him. I never said he should perform with an instrument, but I see people keep arguing that point, not sure why.
Here is what I wrote yesterday and it continued similarly today:
" I never would expect to see Adam with a guitar or piano or other instrument on stage."
Endquote.
Again. We agree. So this wgwg talk? Who are you responding to? Did anyone somewhere suggest that Adam become a wgwg? Why discuss a point that nobody made.
So remains the songwriting. Cassie thinks that modern tools can do all that for him instead. I don't, or at least not if he does not want to put just as much time into learning how to program those tools, as he would into producing chords on a guitar, and I doubt that Adam has the patience to learn that. That is even more abstract, more left brain, more removed from what he organically wants to do. And getting an technician who knows the software is of course no different or at least no better than having a instrumentalist join your songwriting session.
So, bottom-line, I believe, learning a bit of guitar would help with songwriting, and you don't. That is the only difference, really.
Hope this clarified it a bit further.
Here is what I wish Adam could do. When he is in a certain mood or has an idea, be able to express it musically at that moment, not just write down some lyrics. Be able to get it into his system and let it grow there.
No, somebody who can sit on their bed and produce a sound that expresses a certain mood is not a wgwg, in the idol sense. Because the point of the wgwg during idol was neither the skin color nor the existence of an instrument, it was the expression given to a certain boring presentation style and singing style that is quite obviously appreciated by many who vote for these guitar playing dudes, but is to the rest of us monotonous and boring, no matter what they sing about. It is usually also paired with rather weak, squeezed out, untrained, strained sounding vocals, and a grungy style of clothes. None of this has anything to do with Adam.
But Adam has to plan his songwriting around booked studio hours or musician hours, has to be in the mood for songwriting from 2-4 pm next Wednesday. And the result is some kind of group consensus song. Kind of like 'poetry by committee'.
The outcome are constructed songs, not organic ones. If he could get a song started when he feels like it, bring some first draft into the studio, but by doing so, set the mood, give the main direction for the song, then the group could complete it, build it out in places, create a demo version, and Adam could fully concentrate of vocals, but the initial lift-off would be his ideas, his vision, an expression of his soul, his music. And I would love to hear that.
Hope, people understand now a bit better what I mean. If not, I give up, because i don't think there is more that I can say.
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Post by Craazyforadam on Feb 5, 2017 1:55:10 GMT -5
ETA: there is actually one song in Adam's present catalog, where I do get the feeling that it came about organically, and that is Outlaws of Love. One of the best songs of all, imo. Even though the production treatment that it later got almost killed it. But listen to any version, where Adam sings this acoustically. It always gets a strong reaction. Melody and lyrics form a magical union. I love this song, forgot it on my list of songs that are my favorites the other day, but should have put it down.
Incidentally, did you know, you get the basic melody of this song, if you go to a piano and play only the black keys. They form a beautiful sound together, but no trained piano player ever plays only the black keys. But watch any child or anyone who does not know how to play the piano, use the instrument. They reach for the black keys. I would not be surprised at all, if that is how OOL started. With Adam playing around with his fingers on the black keys of a piano. Voila! More songs like that please, and then keep Dr. Luke off of it, which WB is guaranteed to do, and all should be just fine. Adam has it in him, he just needs to find a way to develop what is naturally given to him.
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Misha
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Post by Misha on Feb 5, 2017 2:12:08 GMT -5
Adam and Queen in the sing-off with James Corden was all kinds of fun! I've watched it so many times and always smile throughout the segment. Struck anew by how effortless Adam makes challenging vocals sound.
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Post by DancyGeorgia on Feb 5, 2017 2:17:19 GMT -5
ETA: there is actually one song in Adam's present catalog, where I do get the feeling that it came about organically, and that is Outlaws of Love. One of the best songs of all, imo. Even though the production treatment that it later got almost killed it. But listen to any version, where Adam sings this acoustically. It always gets a strong reaction. Melody and lyrics form a magical union. I love this song, forgot it on my list of songs that are my favorites the other day, but should have put it down. Incidentally, did you know, you get the basic melody of this song, if you go to a piano and play only the black keys. They form a beautiful sound together, but no trained piano player ever plays only the black keys. But watch any child or anyone who does not know how to play the piano, use the instrument. They reach for the black keys. I would not be surprised at all, if that is how OOL started. With Adam playing around with his fingers on the black keys of a piano. Voila! More songs like that please, and then keep Dr. Luke off of it, which WB is guaranteed to do, and all should be just fine. Adam has it in him, he just needs to find a way to develop what is naturally given to him. The best version of OOL was the very first time Adam sang the song in public at that festival in Canada. The only acompliment was Monty playing a steel string guitar. It was perfect and so beautiful. Then when the album came I went what the hell did they do to the song! ! They turned it into a rumba ryhthm which just does not fit the song. It no longer had that haunting grieving sound that touches the soul and makes you feel for the people.
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Post by AnnAdoresAdam on Feb 5, 2017 5:16:24 GMT -5
Hope, people understand now a bit better what I mean. If not, I give up, because i don't think there is more that I can say.
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