Lead Vocalist - Male or Female?

Skel · #1 10-08-2007, 05:37 PM

Do you think it's better, worse, or just indifferent as to whether the lead vocalist (maybe "front man") is a male or a female?

I realize there are attributes that need to be answered like; "is it a cover band?", "is it a blues band?", "does this person play a vital instrument?", "can they sing well?", and many others.

Let's say it makes no difference if they play an instrument, they sing well, and it's a blues/cover band.

Thanks.

David Lansen · #2 10-08-2007, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skel

Do you think it's better, worse, or just indifferent as to whether the lead vocalist (maybe "front man") is a male or a female?

I realize there are attributes that need to be answered like; "is it a cover band?", "is it a blues band?", "does this person play a vital instrument?", "can they sing well?", and many others.

Let's say it makes no difference if they play an instrument, they sing well, and it's a blues/cover band.

Thanks.

I've only played in a pop cover band, and IME, it was more fun with female singer. There were more songs we could do, because a lot of pop music is sung by female singers or male singers who sing like female singers. Most male singers just couldn't sing that high. Sure we could transpose and lower the key, but our guitarists aren't that bright.

Skel · #3 10-08-2007, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Lansen

I've only played in a pop cover band, and IME, it was more fun with female singer. There were more songs we could do, because a lot of pop music is sung by female singers or male singers who sing like female singers. Most male singers just couldn't sing that high. Sure we could transpose and lower the key, but our guitarists aren't that bright.

I would also think you would instantly draw a larger crowd with the female vocalist. Of course there would have to be a decent working chemistry no matter what gender you picked.

Spoiled Grape · #4 10-08-2007, 07:58 PM

The average male vocalist to the average female? Male would win out. I've played in bands with both, and while I lucked out once with a really cool/talented chick, I think more often than not I hold higher standards to female vocals.

I think it's a bit harder to not sound cliche as a female vocalist. Maybe I'm using a double standard though.

David Lansen · #5 10-08-2007, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skel

I would also think you would instantly draw a larger crowd with the female vocalist. Of course there would have to be a decent working chemistry no matter what gender you picked.

Totally. Since we actually got a long pretty well, it was actually really fun having a girl in the band. It was a nice change.

Jezz8me · #6 10-09-2007, 02:57 AM

male i think the voice has more toneal variation as a high falsetto sounds so different to low baritone singing.

For instance the guy from muse or rufus wainwright they have so much vocal variety in their songs i just don't here in females. Females can sing high that is it, some can sing low but that is it. Some are friggin fantastic but they are rare so males i prefer. The female voice i find is much more unorigional and unless you are someone like amy winehouse who has a verr unique voice you won't catch my attention.

ALTHOUGH i do like female vocals in indie rock like Patience from The Grates or the Yea Yea Yea's.

Spoiled Grape · #7 10-09-2007, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jezz8me

male i think the voice has more toneal variation as a high falsetto sounds so different to low baritone singing.

For instance the guy from muse or rufus wainwright they have so much vocal variety in their songs i just don't here in females. Females can sing high that is it, some can sing low but that is it. Some are friggin fantastic but they are rare so males i prefer. The female voice i find is much more unorigional and unless you are someone like amy winehouse who has a verr unique voice you won't catch my attention.

ALTHOUGH i do like female vocals in indie rock like Patience from The Grates or the Yea Yea Yea's.

Interesting coming from someone with a female singer in their group

By the way, I'm totally in favor of male and female vocals blending together. There is a reason both men and women were put on this earth, and outside of the bedroom this is the most beautiful and genuine reason.

Phalex · #8 10-09-2007, 06:16 AM

I think both are great. Some things you can do with one that you can't do with the other and vise versa. I had issues in a band with a chick singer, because the guitar player was trying to (later succeeded) sleep with her. We went through 3 chick singers and he hit on every one of them. So, chick singers are great as long as the guitard can be professional and keep it in his pants.

Jezz8me · #9 10-09-2007, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoiled Grape

Interesting coming from someone with a female singer in their group

hey thats why little old untrained, can get by with my vocals and not sound like an idol reject jeremy sings lead. I love the sound of harmonising with a female and dual vocals

Skel · #10 10-09-2007, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalex

I think both are great. Some things you can do with one that you can't do with the other and vise versa. I had issues in a band with a chick singer, because the guitar player was trying to (later succeeded) sleep with her. We went through 3 chick singers and he hit on every one of them. So, chick singers are great as long as the guitard can be professional and keep it in his pants.

Yea! LOL. Even the well known bands like Jefferson Airplane went through this stuff. Maybe I should look for a "Janis Joplin" female vocalist - not so easy on the eyes but killer singer and performer. Or get the really hot looking crowd drawer and just let her sleep with whomever she wants and deal with it as long as it didn't effect our performances (yea right - i can just see the on stage fighting already - but I'm a good yeller).

Jezz8me · #11 10-09-2007, 06:33 AM

lol start the chant with the crowd :P

Bard2dbone · #12 10-09-2007, 05:20 PM

Both, of course.

Skel · #13 10-10-2007, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bard2dbone

Both, of course.

Well yea, but....I've never been in a band with a chick singer and I like the idea of leveraging that to draw a crowd. Plus every male lead vocalist I've worked with, I had to get on my knees and beg them not to quit about 2 times a month.

Wondering if a chick singer would be more mature.

Yngwie 4String · #14 10-10-2007, 01:52 PM

I prefer to work with females. They are easier to work with in my experience. They take it more seriously, and tend to have less ego, and sometimes you can SCORE!

CrazyArcher · #15 10-10-2007, 03:02 PM

A female surely attracts more attention to the stage immediately. Also, from my experience (not in blues, though), an average fmale sings better than an average male.

Bard2dbone · #16 10-10-2007, 04:15 PM

Well in my longest running band, I was the lead singer. But I had to simplify a lot of my bass parts to be able to do them while I sang.

By adding a female vocalist the pressure is off me to sing everything. I can have more fun playing. We can add duets to the playlist. She can do the songs that were just plain too high for me to sing at the point in my life (Rush, Zep, etc...)

So in my last band I sang about 30% of the leads, Joanna sang 50%-ish, and the rest were either duets or instrumentals.

It wasn't a bad mix.

The she got a promotion that required moving five hours away and the drummer got married and the new Mrs. Drummer said "Why is the guest bedroom all full of instruments all the time when you only have the band there some of the time?" and we got exiled.

*sighs*