Could you distinguish English accent when one sings?
Could you distinguish English accent when one sings?
Depends, singers tend to 'impersonate' or 'conform' to a certain accent whilst singing so it can be quite difficult, but there are some exceptions where the singers accent will come through.
To answer the question: Sometimes.
To answer the question: Sometimes.
Yes, you will be able to make out the difference but again thats not easier , you need t listen carefully. You can see how it is when you do live chat as well i have experienced this while my <a href="http://www.englishbox.co.uk">English training course</a>.......
This is a very interesting question; I've often remarked that people's accents tend to disappear when singing. When English people sing, on many occasions it tends to blur into a kind of wannabe American accent: God only knows why!
On the other hand, when I hear foreigners singing, they could on occasions easily fool me into thinking they're native speakers. I suspect this is because they're concentrating more on copying the sounds, phonemes of the song rather than actually thinking about the grammar etc.
I have a French friend who so strong an accent when speaking in English, we both agreed it would be easier to talk in French (it sounds harsh but his English is improving, slowly!). However, when I heard him singing 'Wonderwall', his accent sounded perfectly native - I had to ask him if he was really French!
I came across a singer lately called Arash. I believe he is of Iranian origin, but moved to Sweden when he was younger. In the song whose link I've posted below, he's singing in Russian - whereas he doesn't speak Russian at all, as you can see from the second link, which is of him being interviewed in Russian and needing an interpreter.
*EDIT: Actually, I can't find the second one, but you can get to it by typing Arash Interview into Youtube I think. Or you could just believe me that he doesn't speak Russian, that might be easier!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JO3FbWvgEM
On the other hand, when I hear foreigners singing, they could on occasions easily fool me into thinking they're native speakers. I suspect this is because they're concentrating more on copying the sounds, phonemes of the song rather than actually thinking about the grammar etc.
I have a French friend who so strong an accent when speaking in English, we both agreed it would be easier to talk in French (it sounds harsh but his English is improving, slowly!). However, when I heard him singing 'Wonderwall', his accent sounded perfectly native - I had to ask him if he was really French!
I came across a singer lately called Arash. I believe he is of Iranian origin, but moved to Sweden when he was younger. In the song whose link I've posted below, he's singing in Russian - whereas he doesn't speak Russian at all, as you can see from the second link, which is of him being interviewed in Russian and needing an interpreter.
*EDIT: Actually, I can't find the second one, but you can get to it by typing Arash Interview into Youtube I think. Or you could just believe me that he doesn't speak Russian, that might be easier!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JO3FbWvgEM
Here are two renditions of the same song. As far as I can tell, the first one is with a US accent, and the second one is with some non-Rhotic accent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bkDI0wDQfU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epbCurj5XXo&NR=1&feature=fvwp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bkDI0wDQfU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epbCurj5XXo&NR=1&feature=fvwp
An example of bad US-wannabe British accent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3scXNfqK0Yg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3scXNfqK0Yg
An awful lot of Americans sing non-rhotically in pop songs, despite being rhotic in interviews etc, i don't know if it's easier to sign without a hard R or not but it's quite prominent in Pop.
You are right RiverWear, even most Americans don't sing EXACTLY as I speak. When I myself sing I sing in a kind of American-British-Australian hybrid, although if I sing a song by somebody else I often just imitate their accent.
Since the popularity of blues-based pop alot of pop has been sung in a mix of Southern and GenAm accent. Prior to that it sounded more like a RP-GenAm blend to me.
Since the popularity of blues-based pop alot of pop has been sung in a mix of Southern and GenAm accent. Prior to that it sounded more like a RP-GenAm blend to me.
Caspian Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:52 pm GMT
This is a very interesting question; I've often remarked that people's accents tend to disappear when singing. When English people sing, on many occasions it tends to blur into a kind of wannabe American accent: God only knows why!
On the other hand, when I hear foreigners singing, they could on occasions easily fool me into thinking they're native speakers. I suspect this is because they're concentrating more on copying the sounds, phonemes of the song rather than actually thinking about the grammar etc.
I have a French friend who so strong an accent when speaking in English, we both agreed it would be easier to talk in French (it sounds harsh but his English is improving, slowly!). However, when I heard him singing 'Wonderwall', his accent sounded perfectly native - I had to ask him if he was really French!
I came across a singer lately called Arash. I believe he is of Iranian origin, but moved to Sweden when he was younger. In the song whose link I've posted below, he's singing in Russian - whereas he doesn't speak Russian at all, as you can see from the second link, which is of him being interviewed in Russian and needing an interpreter.
*EDIT: Actually, I can't find the second one, but you can get to it by typing Arash Interview into Youtube I think. Or you could just believe me that he doesn't speak Russian, that might be easier!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JO3FbWvgEM
====================
That is interesting!
Me have the same feeling when it comes to singing in Chinese!
I can hardly distinguish singers from Taiwan from mainland ones when they do singing!
But when these Taiwanese singers speak in interviews, their (affectedly) sweetie, girlie hence ugly accent is immediately noticeable to anyone!
This is a very interesting question; I've often remarked that people's accents tend to disappear when singing. When English people sing, on many occasions it tends to blur into a kind of wannabe American accent: God only knows why!
On the other hand, when I hear foreigners singing, they could on occasions easily fool me into thinking they're native speakers. I suspect this is because they're concentrating more on copying the sounds, phonemes of the song rather than actually thinking about the grammar etc.
I have a French friend who so strong an accent when speaking in English, we both agreed it would be easier to talk in French (it sounds harsh but his English is improving, slowly!). However, when I heard him singing 'Wonderwall', his accent sounded perfectly native - I had to ask him if he was really French!
I came across a singer lately called Arash. I believe he is of Iranian origin, but moved to Sweden when he was younger. In the song whose link I've posted below, he's singing in Russian - whereas he doesn't speak Russian at all, as you can see from the second link, which is of him being interviewed in Russian and needing an interpreter.
*EDIT: Actually, I can't find the second one, but you can get to it by typing Arash Interview into Youtube I think. Or you could just believe me that he doesn't speak Russian, that might be easier!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JO3FbWvgEM
====================
That is interesting!
Me have the same feeling when it comes to singing in Chinese!
I can hardly distinguish singers from Taiwan from mainland ones when they do singing!
But when these Taiwanese singers speak in interviews, their (affectedly) sweetie, girlie hence ugly accent is immediately noticeable to anyone!
I sang something in English once, and had someone (from London) guess whether I was British or not. They thought I was, and I didn't even try to put on a British accent. I'm American, btw. But i I sang a popular music song rather than choral music, it might be easier to tell.
Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat, so let's put a penny in the old man's hat.....the Season of Goodwill is almost upon us and let's hope this will apply to troll ridden Antimoon as well......any bets anyone?
Tracing an accent when signing...well, let's start off the Christmas Season here and now by taking a short hop from the UK across the cold and choppy North Sea to Oslo.....and listen to these Norwegian voices singing the carol we all know from our schooldays...
Ding Dong Merrily on high, In heaven the bells are ringing!
Ding Dong verily the sky
Is riven with angels singing
Gloria.......and so on......
They could almost be English English voices until they pronounce certain words....the Scandinavian seems to seep through somehow on occasions, and when it comes to the word "excelsis" the Norwegians say "exshelsis" whereas Brits would say "exchelsis"....just minor differences really which don't detract from the enjoyment of listening to this favourite carol from our school Christmas concerts in our teens.
Oslo, Norway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8kgeBfj0Yw&feature=related
Now listen to a recording made way back in 1983 - the choirboys of the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge, England, which you can see pictured here on a snowy day - and compare the differences. There really aren't many are there, apart from gender and perhaps youthfulness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unth_dMEYjw
The use of Old English comes into play in this carol, as you know....
E'en so here below, below
Let steeple bell be swungen!
And "Io, Io, Io!"
By priest and people sungen!
Tracing an accent when signing...well, let's start off the Christmas Season here and now by taking a short hop from the UK across the cold and choppy North Sea to Oslo.....and listen to these Norwegian voices singing the carol we all know from our schooldays...
Ding Dong Merrily on high, In heaven the bells are ringing!
Ding Dong verily the sky
Is riven with angels singing
Gloria.......and so on......
They could almost be English English voices until they pronounce certain words....the Scandinavian seems to seep through somehow on occasions, and when it comes to the word "excelsis" the Norwegians say "exshelsis" whereas Brits would say "exchelsis"....just minor differences really which don't detract from the enjoyment of listening to this favourite carol from our school Christmas concerts in our teens.
Oslo, Norway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8kgeBfj0Yw&feature=related
Now listen to a recording made way back in 1983 - the choirboys of the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge, England, which you can see pictured here on a snowy day - and compare the differences. There really aren't many are there, apart from gender and perhaps youthfulness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unth_dMEYjw
The use of Old English comes into play in this carol, as you know....
E'en so here below, below
Let steeple bell be swungen!
And "Io, Io, Io!"
By priest and people sungen!
REPORTER: "Why do you Beatles sing in an American accent?"
JOHN LENNON: "Because it sells better."
JOHN LENNON: "Because it sells better."
Britain's X-Factor - on Sunday, apparently, the final victor in all this was 18 years old Joe McElderry, from Geordieland - the north eastern part of England, surrounding the Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sunderland area....Tyneside and Wearside.
Joe is a true Geordie, born and brought up in South Shields, as he tells us in this YT clip in his unmistakable Geordie accent of which he is, according to his own declaration made elsewhere, immensely proud, and so he should be.
There is no doubt whatsoever that there is a world of difference between his speaking voice and his singing voice, as you will hear. Inevitably this wee Geordie lad will be heading out to Hollywood soon, following in the steps of our own Scottish Susan Boyle, and on GMTV this morning an American correspondent said that Joe will HAVE to work on his singing accent and make it more "acceptable" to the American listeners - in other words, "Americanise" it! Wow! To my British ears he sounds "American" enough already, but obviously not.
This Hollywood spokesman also said that Joe should continue to use his "Briddish" accent when being interviewed "over here" (ie over there in America - and naming Oprah Winfrey in particular) as it would most certainly "endear him to the American public).
Good luck, Geordie lad! Ya gonna need it, dude! ;-)
Already, in typical British style, some mean and cynical newspaper columnists are calling Joe McElderry "very nice but dull". I suppose they are, in a roundabout way, referring to the fact that this clean cut, cute 18 years old lad from South Shields has never done drugs, doesn't drink alcohol and beat up coppers, doesn't date a different lass every night of the week and doesn't have a wee bairn tucked away somewhere in Geordieland, even though he was brought up by a single mother.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv6xnt_i-A8
Joe is a true Geordie, born and brought up in South Shields, as he tells us in this YT clip in his unmistakable Geordie accent of which he is, according to his own declaration made elsewhere, immensely proud, and so he should be.
There is no doubt whatsoever that there is a world of difference between his speaking voice and his singing voice, as you will hear. Inevitably this wee Geordie lad will be heading out to Hollywood soon, following in the steps of our own Scottish Susan Boyle, and on GMTV this morning an American correspondent said that Joe will HAVE to work on his singing accent and make it more "acceptable" to the American listeners - in other words, "Americanise" it! Wow! To my British ears he sounds "American" enough already, but obviously not.
This Hollywood spokesman also said that Joe should continue to use his "Briddish" accent when being interviewed "over here" (ie over there in America - and naming Oprah Winfrey in particular) as it would most certainly "endear him to the American public).
Good luck, Geordie lad! Ya gonna need it, dude! ;-)
Already, in typical British style, some mean and cynical newspaper columnists are calling Joe McElderry "very nice but dull". I suppose they are, in a roundabout way, referring to the fact that this clean cut, cute 18 years old lad from South Shields has never done drugs, doesn't drink alcohol and beat up coppers, doesn't date a different lass every night of the week and doesn't have a wee bairn tucked away somewhere in Geordieland, even though he was brought up by a single mother.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv6xnt_i-A8