John Mayer recently joined a conversation with Wong Notes Podcast, in which he talked about both his guitar playing and singing styles. Mayer revealed that he is not content with his vocal range as he thinks it can get bad quite rapidly.
The latest and eighth studio album of John Mayer named ‘Sob Rock’ was released on July 16, 2021. The album includes ten tracks, and four singles preceded it. It generally received positive reviews from critics, and its stylistic versatility was praised. Following the album’s release, Mayer went on a tour with Dead and Company from mid-August through the end of October 2021.
The singer has been currently continuing with his solo North American tour in support of ‘Sob Rock.’ He hit the road on February 17, 2022, and will end on April 29, 2022. John Mayer is best known for his impressive songwriting and guitar skills throughout his career. He successfully incorporated rock, pop, blues, and jazz elements into his playing. It can be said that his vocal skills are left behind compared to his guitar and songwriting skills.
During a recent conversation, Mayer reflected on this issue and stated that he knows his powerful sides and acts accordingly as a guitar player. Still, he thinks that his vocal range as a singer is pretty bad. The musician elaborated on his point by saying that he has to sing his songs with a high-pitched voice as his range worsens. He always tries to use a high-pitched vocal rather than a lower one to prevent that. Maybe he doesn’t have a wide vocal range, but he still has a unique voice with his ability for smooth transitions.
John Mayer speaking on his vocal skills:
“I watched you play a bunch. I watched your right hand. You have an anatomy thing working on your right hand. You have long fingers, very sinewy hands that you are able to play like that. That is an example of someone making the most of their anatomical gift. You could also say neurologically, that’s your anatomy too.
But you’re playing to your strength in a certain way. That’s a lot of that is because your hand is shaped like that. And I wish more players could embrace finding what their strengths are anatomical. Just the way your hand is shaped, the way your mind works, and play to those strengths.
I used to do a lot of fight training. My wrists are terrible. It’s never going to be that for me. Great legs, great for kicking, that’s where I’m going to be. I have the worst wrists for that. My range as a singer sucks. My range gets so bad so quickly that all my songs have to be pitched. My trick is to try to get it not to sound low.”
You can listen to the full podcast below.
