How To Sing Like AXL Rose (Explained)
Axl Rose is a rock performer and singer who is the lead vocalist of the rock group Guns N’ Roses and is popular for his highly unique and distinctive voice with which he has thrilled fans of rock.
He is also popular for his wide vocal range which has earned him a place on the list of the worlds’ greatest vocalists.
With the ability to go as low as a F1 and hit as high as a B flat 6, his voice is quite unique and distinctive.
Axl Rose’s voice is not the easiest to imitate however if you want to sing like Axl Rose then you should learn about him, his voice type and vocal range as well as the steps needed to sing like him.
What Are The Steps Needed To Sing Like Axl Rose?
1. Expand Your Vocal Range
We all know Axl Rose has one of the widest vocal ranges there has ever been.
He can hit the lowest possible note and still consistently belt out a very high range still. Most singers do not have this advantage.
However, it is very possible for you to expand your vocal range and still be able to sing comfortably.
2. Improve Your Voice
Even the greatest singers are always singing to make their voices better than the current way it is.
Axl Rose himself frequently works out on his voice especially before performances.
If it is important, get a voice guide or coach to take you through some lessons.
3. Practice Till You Are Very Good
Keep working on your technique till you have perfected it. Practice on songs especially Axl’s songs till you have gotten his vocal range.
4. Watch Axl Rose’s Performances
Axl Rose’s old video performances can be found on Youtube and he is still energetic and touring the world.
They are available for you to access. Make it a constant part of your singing journey to watch his shows.
Listen to his songs and watch his expressions. It’s’ easier for you to imitate him when you can perfectly mimic his stage performances.
What Voice Type Does Axl Rose Have?
Axl Rose’s voice has been described as a mix tape as he has an astoundingly wide vocal range and can go very low as well as very high.
Axl Rose has quite the ambiguous voice which has been difficult to pin down, he has been classified as a bass-baritone.
He can also quite comfortably sing high tenor and when listening you might think, the songs were sung by a different person entirely.
Axl Rose is quite capable of singing to a very high vocal range, although this has been a source of wonder for people as he has a low speaking voice.
This tendency to sing in different voices started out when he was young and he sang in different voices to confuse his teacher during choir practice.
What Makes Axl Rose’s Voice So Unique?
Axl Rose is on the list of the greatest singers.
At a time, he was reputed to be the greatest vocalist in the world beating out Mariah Carey and Paul McCartney before losing out to Mike Patton.
Axl Rose’s uniqueness is in part due to his use of a mask, also known as pharyngeal resonance.
This mask is situated at the base of our throats and can produce different sounds depending on a variety of factors, including the volume and design of a person’s vocal cords.
Axl Rose is reputed to emphasize resonance in his singing.
His ability to also move from one tone to another while exploring his wide vocal range is another point of uniqueness for me.
His voice is truly distinctive and it would be truly a feat to reproduce it.
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Can Axl Rose Actually Sing?
Axl Rose is a rare gifted singer and one of the truly few that his era was blessed with.
He has always made it clear that he values his voice and takes great care of it.
Rose also stated how he always performs warm-ups and voice workout practice before going on stage to make sure that he sings and performs to the highest standard possible.
Axl Rose for me is definitely one of the greatest Rock vocalists of all time and not only for his wide vocal range but as well for his multi-octave singing ability.
He took his singing and performing roles seriously which is the main reason why has remained the lead vocalists for Guns N’ Roses.
Although Rose’s voice might not be what it used to be, but it is still quite good for his age and considering he has been putting a strain on it for close to four decades.
He is phenomenal and will remain one of my favorite singers of all time.
How Did Axl Rose Start Singing?
Axl Rose born 1962 in Lafayette, Indiana, started out singing as early as the age of 5.
He sang at the local church and when he got into high school, he enrolled for piano lessons and also participated in the school choir.
Between 1983 and 1986, Axl Rose was involved with a couple of bands before forming ‘Guns N’ Roses’ with Tracii Guns.
Their first success was recorded with their first album ‘Appetite For Destruction’.
The album has sold about 30million copies in the world and 18million of it in the US which makes the highest selling album of all time in the US.
They went on to gain more international success with the ‘Use Your Illusion I’ and ‘Use Your Illusion II’.
From 1994 however, the band suffered a hiatus due to breakdown in group relations and various members leaving.
Axl Rose has had a long career and is still very much relevant today and of course still touring the world.
Also check out this article I wrote on how to sing like Chester Bennington
What Is Axl Rose’s Vocal Range?
Axl Rose as we all know has one of the widest vocal range we have come across.
Asides from a few other singers, Axl Rose is definitely on the worlds’ best vocalists list. He has quite the range placed at F1 – Bb6 with 5 octaves and 2 notes and a half.
Rose can sing ridiculously low in the F range which can be heard in ‘There Was A Time’ and also go as high as B flat 6 in ‘Ain’t it Fun’ which is as high 5 octaves higher than the F1 note.
He can stretch his voice to 6 octaves at times but a comfortable range for him is 5 octaves.
Axl Rose has a lower baritone range than the legendary Barry White, and can belt out higher notes than Mariah Carey and Tina Turner.
What Is The Highest Note Axl Rose Can Sing?
Axl Rose can reach a notoriously high range of B flat 6 which is not a mean feat for a bass baritone.
His voice has been ranked higher than that of Mariah Carey, the famous soprano, Beyonce and Paul McCartney.
As he ages, Rose’s voice is changing and we can begin to hear breaks in his voice. This of course is due to aging and years of straining his voice on high notes.
Rose continues to take good care of his voice and his vocal technique is one which is admired by many artists.
What Are Some Classic Axl Rose Songs To Practice?
- Welcome To The Jungle: This song is one with strong vocals and is classic Axl Rose with his characteristic screeching and moaning. It is one of the best rock performances ever.
- November Rain: This 9-minute success, notorious for being one of the most expensive songs to be recorded, achieved astounding success as the first 80s’ video to reach a billion views on Youtube.
- Sweet Child O’ Mine: The track on their 1987 album ‘Appetite For Destruction’ was written as a tribute to Axl Rose’s then girlfriend Erin Everly and was instrumental to the success of the album.
Conclusion
Axl Rose, one of the greatest vocalists of all time and a record breaking bestseller, is famous for his unique voice which can go really low and also quite high on the vocal range.
Rose started singing as early as the 1980’s and has been the lead vocalist for his band Guns N’ Roses since its inception.
Admitted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, he has been put on a glowing list by many music outlets including Rolling Stone.
Many famous artists have sought to copy his style and upcoming artists are aspiring to sing like Axl Rose.
