TONY HARNELL
This month’s interview comes to us from the multi-talented vocalist and songwriter Tony Harnell
Jaime: How long have you been singing?
Tony: About 5 years old.
Jaime: I know that your mother was a singer. Did that influence you to study voice?
Tony: Somewhat, but I was always a perfectionist and wanted to fix some little things that bothered me after I started getting serious about singing.
Jaime: Who did you study voice with, and what did you study? Opera, Bel Canto etc…
Tony: I studied with Don Lawrence who in my opinion is the best voice teacher on the planet! He teaches in New York City. I believe his technique is based on Bel Canto but I am not totally sure. He has his own thing and it’s amazing.
Jaime: You have an incredible range. How did you develop such a huge, effortless range?
Tony: Some of it was there naturally and some of it was the desire to have a voice that sounded that way. So I worked at it and I continue to work at it, though more on style and emotion these days and less on technique.
Jaime: Did your range come easy to you or did you have to work at it?
Tony: *laughs* Ha! See above answer.
Jaime: Do you ever have trouble hitting those notes? If so, what do you do to remedy the problem?
Tony: Usually I am fine with the high notes. It’s the mid-range that can be troublesome. If any little bugs are in the way, like a sinus issue, a cold, or any other little annoying thing that would affect a singer. It’s always the middle area I’m most concerned about because most of my songs fall in that area more than they do the high stuff. That’s just popping out notes here and there. That’s the easy part and it doesn’t take as much control as the mid-range.
Jaime: One thing I really love about your voice is the ability you have to portray a softer, more feminine sounding voice on your ballads, like “Lionheart”, without sounding like you are singing in falsetto. I am assuming that isn’t falsetto. How do you get such a beautiful sound?
Tony: That’s just the sound of my voice. Everyone has a natural sound of his or her own, and I guess that’s mine. I do like female singers as much as male singers, and maybe that’s because I can relate to them so well. And no, for the record it is not falsetto. Thanks for mentioning it. I go nuts when I read reviews and the critic mentions my great falsetto. I know why they say it though. They are not used to hearing a male voice go that high without straining in chest voice, so they just can’t relate to the sound. But, Geddy Lee was full voice and when he was young, Rob Halford was too. It is rare. Unfortunately, many metal singers do use blends of falsetto techniques and it sounds weak and fake. They sort of mimic the sound of a powerful upper register, but to me, it just doesn’t cut it, and you can hear a distinct difference between the lower register and the higher. It sounds like two different voices, and that is not cool for my ears anyway.
Jaime: I love how TNT has evolved. Firefly and Transistor both blew my mind. They were different from earlier stuff like Knights of New Thunder and Intuition, but they definitely quenched my thirst. How do you keep your song writing so fresh?
Tony: I guess by not rejecting new music. I listen to things that come out and absorb them and use them sparingly when I can. I don’t believe in staying in one place artistically forever. It’s boring, and if an artist is bored then he needs to find something to snap him out of it. Sometimes you have to drastically change in order to come around again and find a fresh approach to what you used to do
Jaime:Well, then you definitely achieved your goal. My Religion reminds me of the old TNT, but you guys would produce great music no matter what.
Jaime:Have you ever had any vocal trouble in the studio or on the road?
Tony:Of Course I don’t know anyone who hasn’t. And if they say they haven’t, they are lying. I’ve had various issues from food allergies (the food on the road can suck), to bronchitis etc…you just have to take the best care of yourself you can to try and prevent that stuff from happening.
Jaime:What did you do to get through those times?
Tony:Lots of vitamins and herbal supplements. When you do get sick and you have a show, you just have to get through it the best you can. There is no other way. You can’t cancel a show. I have only cancelled one show and I was basically out for the count with a heavy flu and fever. So you need good stuff for emergencies when touring. The best medicine though is a good strong technique and a healthy body. Especially for the kind of singing I do. If you sit around and eat crap food on the road, you’re done. You have to stay as active as possible and eat as well as you can.
Jaime:A lot of singers are caught up on the vocal break point. What advice can you give them on working their way through to their upper register?
Tony:Go get lessons from Don Lawrence and practice every day. Seriously, I have helped a lot of singers with this problem as well, but there is no way to explain it in a few sentences. Most people know they need a lot of energy for the high notes and so that isn’t an issue. It’s the subtleties of the mid-range that are the most difficult, but over time with the right technique you don’t even notice a break on most good days. Of course the better I feel the less obvious they are.
Jaime:What do you feel physically changes when you sing in your upper range?
Tony:Having a big range is about knowing how to disperse the energy of your breath and not just uncontrolled belting the energy you use in different parts of the voice is very important and comes with practice. After awhile you just know how much to give or not give to get the sound you need.
Jaime: What do you do to keep your voice in shape? Are there any particular warm-ups that you use?
Tony: Yes, I use Don Lawrence’s warm-ups most of the time. They are the best for opening things up in a gradual and safe way.
Jaime: Do you have any secrets in your vocal bag of tricks you care to share to help aspiring singers?
Tony: Many, but they’ll have to wait for my book :)
Tony: You know, all of that is fine in moderation and I admit that sometimes I use some of those things above, but you have to be careful because they can also dry you out. especially things with menthol in them. What you’re really trying to do is moisturize the voice, that is the thing, as much moisture as possible. I recommend more than anything drinking tons of water, and I mean from the time you wake up until the show at night. All through the day. You will pee a lot but who cares. The more hydrated you are the better. Someone said to me once, “clear pee, clear voice.” It seems to be right most of the time.
Jaime: Your sound is definitely unique. How did you develop your own style?
Tony: I don’t know really. I think I am lucky in that I have a sound to my voice that is unusual. That in it-self gives me my own sound. I also have a lot of different and strange influences, which I guess, help form my own style. To be honest, I never really thought about having my own style. I never sat down and thought, “I need my own style”. I think it just comes for most people if they listen to enough different things.
Jaime: Were there any particular singers that inspired you when you started?
Tony: So many! Just a few are- Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, Rob Halford, Dio, Steve Perry, Ann Wilson…and on and on and on…
Jaime: Wow, sounds a lot like my list, except mine also contains…Tony Harnell :)
Jaime: On certain songs like, Tell No Tales, you apply a throaty sound. I know a lot of singers who try to sing throaty or scream and only end up losing their voice within a couple of songs. What do you feel is the best way to sing throaty or scream without hurting your voice?
Tony: Support, support, and support! You have to manipulate the sound at the top of your throat, away from the vocal cords. That’s the way to do it. Lots of energy directed to the right places.
Jaime: I’ve got the live TNT CD, and the one thing I notice is the incredible amount of resonance present in your voice. When you are singing, it sounds like your voice is buzzing like a bee. How do you produce so much resonance?
Tony: Many people have mentioned that to me and I am not really sure what they mean. But what I think you are talking about is the extreme open-ness I get which creates lots of overtones. When you are really open on your notes, it gives the feeling that you are not straining and that is probably where a lot of the air and resonance you talk about comes from. I am just very on top of my notes.
Jaime: Any vibrato tips?
Tony: Mine is funny. I use it in many different ways, but I do have a natural one, which is prominent. I would say that if your vibrato overpowers the song or is so over the top that it’s annoying then pull it back. Vibrato is not very cool these days, but it’s appropriate for certain types of music and I think is slowly making a comeback. It should be natural and not interfere with your singing. If you are forcing vibrato and your mouth is shaking to create it, then I would say sing without it. It shouldn’t come from your mouth; it should come from your throat. It should come easily. I love a lot of singers who don’t use it much, like Steven Tyler. Great singer, very little vibrato. If you are relaxed when you sing, your natural vibrato will come, or not come, depending I guess on your body.
Jaime: How about tips to sustain notes?
Tony: Develop your support and breathing technique. You don’t need tons of air to hold long notes, if you know how to support the right way. You don’t need to take a huge, deep breath. That will actually wear you out for it. You just need what you need and the rest is support and energy. Support should be very low, NOT right under the ribs as many teachers teach. The lower you can support, the higher and stronger you can sing. Support must be learned the right way though, and although I am sure these words are helpful, there is more that goes with it.
Jaime: One final question. What is the best advice you could give a singer to help develop their voice?
Tony: Find a good teacher and listen to singers with a good technique. If it hurts, it’s probably wrong, so stop doing what hurts!
Jaime: Thanks for such a wonderful interview Tony. I’m sure all of the readers will learn a lot about singing thanks to you insights.
If you wish to learn more about Tony Harnell, you can check at the following sites to discover all of the projects he is working with:
www.tonyharnell.com
www.westworld-web.com
www.sorcerystudios.com/morningwood
www.tnttheband.com
** DISCOGRAPHY **
TNT
KNIGHTS OF NEW THUNDER-1984
TELL NO TELLS-1987
INTUITION-1989
REALISED FANTASIES-1992
3 NIGHTS IN TOKYO-1992
TILL NEXT TIME-1996
FIREFLY-1996
TRANSISTOR-1999
THE BIG BANG-2003
TASTE EP-2003
MY RELIGION- 2004
WEST WORLD
WESTWORLD-1999
SKIN-2001
LIVE IN THE FLESH-2001
CYBERDREAMS-2002
MORNING WOOD-1984- RE-RELEASED-2002
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