Did Billie Joe ever LEARN to sing?

[cNjTheNewAuthority]

Did BJA ever take up singing lessons when Green Day was first formed?Or was he self-taught?Or was he always that good?I know he started singing at an early age,as early as 5,making his first record,and then he want with his Dad to sing to patients in the hospitals and what not.Not that punk vocals are meant to be taught the conventional way(Joey Ramone).I think eventually he did take up lessons to improve his vocals,which explains Green Day's present wide range of genres in song instead of their old Dookie punk-punk-punk style.

[spark in the night]

he was born with a talent to sing

but im sure he did some extra practicing or lessons to further his talent or broaden it

[Nova-Caine]

His vocal range now would suggest he has had some sort of vocal coaching but there is no proof of this.

[rinu]

no i think.

[Ally]

well since he has been singing since he was 5 i doubt he took singing lessons. and i dont think he took them later on, he didn't need to.

[petrina_678]

he mentioned once in an interview he started taking them but quit because he didnt like the guy ( this was way BEFORE AI)

but he may have had lessons since then , im not surprised if he did.

[cNjTheNewAuthority]

Lol...God Bless Billie Joe...knowing how to support with his diaphragm,proper breathing,not to strain muscles and what not,without vocal lessons or training...and he could go on and on for a 2hr+ concert(BIAB).

[tq6993]

  cNjTheNewAuthority said:

Lol...God Bless Billie Joe...knowing how to support with his diaphragm,proper breathing,not to strain muscles and what not,without vocal lessons or training...and he could go on and on for a 2hr+ concert(BIAB).

I know man, i can barley sing 2 songs in a row on on rock band, but then agan i am a guitar player (a real one)

[Nova-Caine]

My sister is a singer and teaches from time to time, she says his vocal range is totally changed from 10 years ago. He is not as nasally as he used to be and is almost certain he has had some form of coaching. Like I said he hasn't admitted to it and doesn't need to really.

His voice is lovely now a days though. I love listening to him more than I ever did

x

[whizzingbullet]

I don't think he did. But he really sounds amazing.

[Guitar4Girl]

I would of thought he would have some lessons, like you say I imagine it would be difficult to sing for a 2hr+ concert. I'd say that his vocals have got quite a bit better in the last few years or so.

[cNjTheNewAuthority]

  Guitar4Girl said:

I would of thought he would have some lessons, like you say I imagine it would be difficult to sing for a 2hr+ concert. I'd say that his vocals have got quite a bit better in the last few years or so.

Yup,to sustain your voice for 2hrs ongoing,you'd DEFINITELY need some sort of training,no matter how little,and no matter how good your voice was at first.

[AnnaMon07]

He had singing lessons and piano lessons at the age of 4, it's in one of those Green Day books.

xo

[cNjTheNewAuthority]

  AnnaMon07 said:

He had singing lessons and piano lessons at the age of 4, it's in one of those Green Day books.

xo

How much can one grasp at the age of 4? xD

[farley drexel hatcher]

I think over the last few years he's really improved his vocals, realised what they mean to him and so he's probably taken steps to make sure he keeps it in good shape. But I would say other than taking advice most of it is self taught, or just comes from experience.

[Anko]

I have noticed a change since AI and an even bigger change since some of the earlier albums.

It wouldn't surprize me if he got some coaching.

But he was singing with his dad,maybe for the earlier years he got some help there.

[jose armstrong]

apparently no

[failure00]

Actually, I believe I read an interview that stated he actually did go to a singing coach for either American Idiot or 21 Century Breakdown. I've read so many fucking interviews that I doubt I'll ever find it again though.

[cNjTheNewAuthority]

  Anko said:

I have noticed a change since AI and an even bigger change since some of the earlier albums.

It wouldn't surprize me if he got some coaching.

But he was singing with his dad,maybe for the earlier years he got some help there.

Mmhmm.I think this is the most important factor at hand.His dad WAS a Jazz Musician after all.Could be that Billie picked up some tips(even the most basic) about singing from good old Dad.And yeah,the change is more obvious in 21st CB then AI.But I think it's because Billie wasn't too sure about GD's place in the industry at that time before AI(before AI they weren't that popular with the mainstream) and so there wasn't much falsetto or hitting of high notes in AI as compared to 21st CB.After GD built up their rep with AI,I think Billie was pretty much sure he could display his wider vocal range with 21st CB on songs like 21 Guns,Last Night on Earth ETC.

Bottom line is,I think he did get vocal training(minimal at most),maybe somewhere between Warning and AI.

[Nobody_Likes_You]

In my opinion he took lessons. I don't think one's voice can be that good if it's self taught.

[Nova-Caine]

I don't see the big deal anyway. Singing/Vocal coaching is sensible especially if you are singing on a regular basis. It helps you to protect your vocal chords and sustain better performance.

[NickD]

i seem to remember an interview from long ago, when Look for Love first hit the internet, of Billie saying he DID take lessons, but as someone mentioned, only as a kid, but wouldn't take them again, and that he's taught himself how to preserve his vocals

[Foxboron]

yes.

he have said "i tok singing lessons, but i didnt go around say "hello, i can sing""

[Psycho Britney]

I have an image now of Billie standing there singing 'memememe' and all that sort of thing! :wink: I remember when I was at school in the choir, the teacher making us do all these crazy vocal warm up excerices! I used to laugh because she used to really get in to the excerises!!

[Isabel]

I can't imagine how a singer wouldn't have had some form of voice training, given the number of concerts they play during a tour.

I'm sure Billie Joe has particular singing/voice techniques that he practises during the warm-up before a show...otherwise, he'd be invincible. But well, that's not surprising.

EDIT: Actually, some parts of this video sums it up haha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcN6yQNm3vI...feature=related