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I've heard a lot of different claims as to the difference between falsetto and head voice and a lot of vocal professionals disagree on the exact definitions. From what I gather, there are four to five different registers, or resonance areas, in your singing voice as you change pitch. There is a lot of overlap in these ranges, so you can sing a lot of the same notes in more than one register, but eventually, if you go high enough, your voice will have to move to the next register. The lowest is vocal fry, that's when your voice is so low you can actually hear the individual vibrations of your voice. Country singers often like to move from vocal fry to chest voice because it does add a bit of a rugged sound to their voice. The next register is your chest voice. Pretty much all singers of all styles use their chest voice as their primary singing voice. This is your natural, or "full voice" and the range that most people feel most comfortable singing in. I don't like to call this "full voice" though, because "full voice" could also mean your full range which includes all registers you can sing in. So, when David Lee Roth said he can sing four octaves in "full voice" he could have just meant, "in all his registers" which is perfectly believable. The higher you go in your chest voice, the more you have to shout to reach the note accurately. There's a large overlap between this higher chest region and the next register which is sometimes called the head register (sometimes called the falsetto register). This is where it gets confusing, because this head register is often called the "head voice" but many professionals don't agree that the "head voice" is a register. The "head voice" is a way of singing in the head register. Falsetto is another way of singing in the head register. When beginning singers sing in the head register, they often sing falsetto, which is a breathier, less powerful way of singing. In order to sing in head voice, you have to "zip up" your vocal chords to allow less air through. It's a more nasal, less breathy way of singing that is much louder and more powerful than falsetto. To make this even more confusing some people also call this the "mixed voice", because it's where you're actually combining some aspects of your chest voice with your head register. For example, if you're singing in the area where your chest voice overlaps with your head register, meaning you can sing the same notes in both registers, you should be able to train your voice to combine these registers and make the break between the two registers sound nonexistent. This takes a lot of training, and many people disagree that mixed voice is the same as head voice. Personally, I find little difference between the sound of head voice and mixed voice, and I somewhat doubt that the "mixed voice" actually exists. Most pop singers sing in this register, and they usually have this part of their vocal region strengthened to the point where it's hard to differentiate it between it and their chest voice. There is a fourth, often disregarded register, that many just consider part of the head voice. There is supposedly another break in the head voice when you get high enough. This break is a lot less noticeable than the one between the chest voice and head register, so many people just consider it to be part of the head register. Personally, I'm not sure if this register can really be defined as a separate register since you're still singing in your head, and I was never able to notice a break between the lower notes of my head register and my highest notes, but I'm not a professional singing teacher, so what do I know. However, I still like to draw a distinction between the higher head register and lower head register because I've noticed that as you get higher in your head register it becomes more natural to sing in head voice rather than in falsetto. A lot of heavy metal screams are done in this register, and it's almost always done in head voice rather than falsetto because your vocal chords naturally "zip up" when you sing this high and it's very hard to let a lot of air through. Think Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden when he's belting out those really high notes when you think of this register. The fifth, and highest register is whistle voice. This is the most difficult register to reach, and it usually takes a lot of training to sing in this register. It's especially difficult for men. You'll hear singers like Mariah Carey sing in this range a lot when they go really high. Because it's so high, it's very difficult to actually sing distinct words in this voice, and it sounds more like a whistle sound rather than an actual voice, hence the name. Anyway, I hope I didn't confuse you more. There's a lot of conflicting opinions on the difference between head voice, head register, mixed voice, falsetto and even the definition of a vocal register, so I'm sure there are people who disagree with this assessment. Nevertheless, this is how I make sense of it all. Gianthogweed fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Jan 17, 2012 |
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Jan 17, 2012 04:34
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Actually, that pretty much cleared up a lot of the confusion. Thanks.
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Jan 17, 2012 15:13
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I absolutely hate my voice. I recorded myself singing A Horse With No Name by America and it sounds like I'm talking roughly in tune with the song, aka complete poo poo. I've had no training, and I can't afford it, what can I do to get better? I noticed I hiss my s's, sing laaaarrrr instead of laaaaa and I seem to make a noise similar to flicking your tounge of the roof of your mouth when there's a lot of t and d sounds. I thought I was better than this, the op describes me pretty well. I really want to get better though. What can I do?
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Jan 22, 2012 14:39
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GreatKesh posted:I absolutely hate my voice. I recorded myself singing A Horse With No Name by America and it sounds like I'm talking roughly in tune with the song, aka complete poo poo. Besides what's already mentioned in the OP (record yourself constantly, do your best to emulate singers you like, etc.) One tip I found useful was to stress the vowels of words rather than the consonants. For example, when I first started singing, I noticed I would say words like "curtain" more like "cr'nnnn" With almost no time spent sainging the "ai" part. This made my voice sound more nasal and less appealing. Notes ring out much better on vowel sounds than on consonant sounds, so make a purposeful effort to diminish the amount of consonant sounds you make and focus more on the vowel sounds. Gianthogweed fucked around with this message at 15:32 on Jan 22, 2012 |
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Jan 22, 2012 15:29
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GreatKesh posted:I absolutely hate my voice. I recorded myself singing A Horse With No Name by America and it sounds like I'm talking roughly in tune with the song, aka complete poo poo. If you post a sample we can give you better advice. Generally speaking, take deep breaths, use a lot of air, and play with the sounds coming out when you sing to try to eliminate air escaping as breathiness. Stand up straight with good posture. To get good tone, try humming really loud with your mouth closed while moving things around. Look for a full, rich sound, and then use the same types of techniques to get a good sound with your mouth open. Make sure you aren't singing too low for your vocal register, because this can lead to speak-singing. Gianghogweed's advice about vowels is good. Try to sing words by first forming the consonant quickly, then moving straight into the vowel and staying there until you rhythmically need to move on to the beginning of the next word/syllable, or a rest, at which point you'll close with another consonant sound. It may be helpful to try to sing stuff that isn't rock. Last, I'd recommend Vaccai to anyone interested in working on their voice. Get the book with the CD in your register - it's invaluable for the beginning singer. The exercises build both in rhythmic and melodic complexity, and the vocal samples give a good starting point to imitate. I couldn't find them for a reasonable price on Amazon, but they're published by Hal Leonard, and here are the books. Soprano/Tenor Alto/Bass Mezzo-Soprano/Baritone If you're in doubt about your vocal register, post a short recording of yourself singing and someone here can help you figure it out. Alternately, sing along with a piano going up and down chromatically, and figure out your comfortable range, then go to Wikipedia or some other site and compare your range with bass/baritone/tenor/alto/mezzo-soprano/soprano ranges.
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Jan 22, 2012 22:47
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OK, so I'm taking singing lessons as a beginner. (I can hold a tune more or less, but I need to work on access and breath control and some other stuff.) I have had two lessons with my teacher and I am not completely sure 1) she is right for me and 2) I am right for singing. 1. We spend a lot of each lesson doing vocal warm-up exercises like rolling our heads around and going "nnnyyyyyAAAAAaaaannnn". In my heart I know this is completely necessary, it's just for me it's a moodkilling combo of high school drama classes and going to the gym. 2. I have a similar problem with breathing exercises. We do some of these each lesson but I don't really understand how to apply them or what they mean. (I'm making her sound like a bad teacher but it's just as likely I'm a horrible student.) 3. The bit of the lessons I actually enjoy is practicing scales, when I'm just trying to hit notes. I think I like this because it seems, well, musical, unlike everything else which feels more like yoga. Would it be a terrible idea if I asked to just focus on these? (Even then I'm not sure if it's helping me. I could play scales and try to hit notes on my own.) 4. Beyond that, sometimes things get a bit psuedo-scientific (possibly). She talks a lot about diaphragms and "opening my throat up". I seem to spend a lot of each lesson groping around my throat trying to feel things moving up and down and failing to understand anything she's telling me. Can some rational-minded singer just confirm that all this stuff is real? I have a feeling a lot of singing might be like cooking, where Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson all offer totally contradictory advice on whether to add olive oil to pasta water. I want the completely scientific approach. I want the Heston Blumenthal approach. The worst bit so far was when she tried to get me to do a "mind exercise" and picture myself hitting notes perfectly on a stage and audiences going wild. She got a bit grumpy when she could tell I wasn't taking it seriously. I felt bad.
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Jan 29, 2012 18:49
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It sounds like her approach isn't right for you. Yes, the stuff she's talking about is real, but it's all a matter of using your body in ways you normally never think to. Thus, understanding it can be difficult, because someone can tell you to open your throat or use your diaphragm for breath support, but it doesn't mean poo poo unless they're explaining it in a way that you can understand. In regards to exercises, there's a lot of bullshit that exists, and none of it is scientific, rather it's stuff that has worked for enough people at some point to seem like a good idea to teach. It's sort of a physical mind-body problem, because there's nothing we typically think about that's related to moving your voice's resonance forward in your head/sinuses, relaxing your throat, lifting your soft palate, and pressing out air with your diaphragm in a controlled way. Some exercises work for some people. Some exercises don't work for some people. An exercise might help you one day, and seem unfathomable when you go home and practice it later. A good teacher should be able to see that certain exercises aren't working for you, and try a different approach. Still, it can be very frustrating to try an exercise and not have any improvement. Feel free to practice with scales, but pick a vowel like 'oo' and stay at each interval long enough (5 seconds?) to see if you're maintaining a good tone all the way through, from the time you start the note until the time you switch to the next. It's easy to rush through scales if you have a good ability with pitch and totally gloss over tone issues. Last, are you practicing the exercises outside of your lessons? Because this isn't the kind of thing you'll get right away. Get a portable recording device and record your lessons so you can do them at home later. Do your exercises and play with the sounds until you get an improvement in tone. Examine what you did to reach that point, then move on to the next improvement. Occasionally you'll have an epiphany where you move your body in a certain way and get a dramatic improvement, but otherwise it's going to take time. Again from earlier in the thread, I'll recommend the Vaccai: Practical Method for Italian Voice books to you, because they're exercises that are still musical, and you get the recording to practice with which and compare yourself to.
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Jan 29, 2012 22:10
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I prefer the scientific side of things too, and I tend to give scientific explanations of what's going on to my students since I know I appreciate it. However, even with the science-y stuff, since there are a lot of muscles you don't have direct conscious control over, singing lessons require some pretending sometimes. I mean, if I tell you to move your larynx around you're going to try to consciously move it a lot which is a huge bad thing for singing. If I give you an action to pretend to do, then you will move it much more gently and without any need to spend brainpower on doing it. Also, after two lessons with a new student, I am looking for an increase in tone quality and relaxation before getting into, well, "real" music. I suspect that your teacher is waiting for these warmups to have an effect on your singing before introducing confounding variables like reading music, performing stylistically correctly, singing words, etc. That's just good teaching. Patience is a virtue after all. I wouldn't recommend asking to skimp warmups because I'm betting this is her goal. Believe me, you will appreciate all this windup when you get to go through repertoire much more quickly later, and you don't have as many lovely habits to destroy. That said, it sounds like you've got one of those more "spiritual" "FEEL the expression of music coming out of you like a fountain!!" kind of whoopy people. I don't really like that much, either. There are definitely more uh grounded? people to learn from, but in my experience they are much more expensive, so there's that. I vote give this teacher at least one month and preferably at least two months to judge whether or not you're getting properly educated from her. If after that you still don't understand why you should do breathing exercises* or how they help you then you should probably find someone else. *FYI learning to breathe properly like a singer or athlete statistically makes you more likely to live longer, and live with less stress. That's how I convince my students who haven't heard a difference in their singing yet. 
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Jan 30, 2012 00:11
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I think those mind excercises are a terrific thing to do since singing has a lot to do with "mental support" too, you need to be completely confident in your own voice, a singer can have all the techniques down, but if he doesn't believe in himself then the voice will lack a certain flair that'll entice the listener. Edit : I have also gotten my hands on a keyboard so I can now play piano (sort of at least  ), and I was wondering the exact how-to to find my own singing range. I think I know where C is, but the rest I have literally no idea on how to go. Do I sing Oos and just see if I can hold that tone comfortably as I go down/up on the piano?
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Jan 30, 2012 02:02
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Thanks for the advice. I'll keep going with her and see how things unfold. I got this email from her earlier where she brings this up:quote:I hope some of the lesson helped you Friday, I just need you to be more confident with yourself so we will keep working on exercises to help your mindset, if they really do make you feel too uncomfortable then I think we should try to work on something else. I'll tell her the best way for me to become more confident at singing is for me to get better at singing - not closing my eyes, breathing deeply and imagining myself headlining Woodstock, or whatever. This is because I am a horrible cynical rear end in a top hat. Other than that, I am reassured and remain optimistic! Thanks! Popcorn fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Jan 30, 2012 |
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Jan 30, 2012 02:04
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Greggster posted:Edit : I have also gotten my hands on a keyboard so I can now play piano (sort of at least Yes, although that's not how a teacher would do it. If I were trying to find your range I'd play little 5-finger pattern exercises that went up and down, increasing pitch by a half-step every time until we hit on an uncomfortable area. Then based on what exactly I'm hearing I'd change directions, or stay in a certain place, or call it quits and check your low end. I have no idea what your music theory background is, so I will assume playing 5-finger patterns in all 12 keys would be a pain. In that case, your way will work fine, but might give you an incorrect impression of how high you can actually sing. It will probably give you a decent impression of your low range. (edit) Okay, since you are at the point of "I can find middle C" let me further recommend that you play ALL the keys in order, not just white keys, and if your singing is as new as your piano playing, maybe don't try to figure out your range yet. quote:I'll tell her the best way for me to become more confident at singing is for me to get better at singing - not closing my eyes, breathing deeply and imagining myself headlining Woodstock, or whatever. This is because I am a horrible cynical rear end in a top hat. Other than that, I am reassured and remain optimistic! Thanks! I worry that "horrible cynical rear end in a top hat" is cover for "I'm shy but I'm not going to let people see me be vulnerable." Yeah, maybe playing pretend isn't for you, but...I can't quite seem to word how important it is to let your honest, true self through when you sing. It doesn't really matter how good you get if you're going to keep up a wall between your performing and your actual self/feelings. It's the performers that get all that stuff mixed together that people go see again and again. I would imagine that's what your teacher means when she says "be more confident with yourself."
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Jan 30, 2012 02:32
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Hawkgirl posted:I worry that "horrible cynical rear end in a top hat" is cover for "I'm shy but I'm not going to let people see me be vulnerable." No, I'm a horrible cynical rear end in a top hat because I don't like playing pretend. The (true) fact that I'm shy and don't like people seeing me vulnerable is unrelated. I'm only going to beat that by singing more. And I know that from experience, because last time I tried singing lessons (a few years ago) I couldn't make a sound in front of my teacher, I was so embarrassed. A few dozen open mic performances later and here I am, trying to improve. I just don't like the new age self-actualisation approach.
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Jan 30, 2012 03:53
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I don't think you should give someone whose approach you don't like or respect any more of your money. You'll just be wasting both of your time. Call around to different local teachers and tell them where you're at, what you're looking for, and things you don't like, and see what they say. Alternately, give your current teacher a call and tell them about your reservations, and see what they have to say.
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Jan 30, 2012 08:44
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Popcorn posted:No, I'm a horrible cynical rear end in a top hat because I don't like playing pretend. The (true) fact that I'm shy and don't like people seeing me vulnerable is unrelated. It definitely is not unrelated. You don't like playing pretend because you're self-conscious, not because you're cynical. That's ok, most people experience some of that, but getting over those hang-ups will make you a much better singer and performer. As others have pointed out, a large part of voice teaching is mental exercises. This is because most of the mechanics involved are invisible, both to the student and the teacher. It's definitely the most difficult instrument to teach; just imagine teaching someone to play the guitar when both of you are wearing blindfolds. Sometimes vocal teachers give you exercises to actually distract you from your singing, to help you relax. It's very counter-intuitive and requires an extremely creative approach. That said, don't continue taking lessons from someone you don't have a real rapport with. It doesn't sound like your teacher is able to adapt to your needs very well, although you should give her a fair chance by discussing it with her. In any case, expect any other voice teacher to have you do a few things that make you feel ridiculous at first.
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Jan 30, 2012 12:26
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I was born an absolutely HIDEOUS singer and never even bothered until I was 20 or so. At that point I'd been playing guitar hours a day for the last 5 years and really wanted to branch into singing because it is so drat fun to wail on an acoustic and sing. I practiced enough to get comfortable playing/singing at the same time, then started recording my vocals. Years later, I've managed to go from abysmal to almost-listenable through sheer stubborn repetition of recording/listening/rerecording over and over. At this point though, I'm pretty sure I'm out of ways to improve without some sort of guidance. I'm not tone deaf but I am just not great at singing something the way it sounds in my head. For some reason, even if I perfectly match what I was hearing in my head, hearing it played back via recording makes it sound like total poo poo and I dunno why. Not really in a position to pay for vocal lessons for the next year or two, but I could swing a couple months if that is my best option for actually progressing. Alternately, I found several software singing aid applications, but I am assuming those aren't actually any good and would be a total waste of time. Is that accurate?
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Feb 8, 2012 02:01
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GodIsInTheTrees posted:I was born an absolutely HIDEOUS singer and never even bothered until I was 20 or so. At that point I'd been playing guitar hours a day for the last 5 years and really wanted to branch into singing because it is so drat fun to wail on an acoustic and sing. I practiced enough to get comfortable playing/singing at the same time, then started recording my vocals. Lot of people hate their voice when they first record their singing. Thats pretty normal. You might not sound as bad as you think. If you've been playing guitar for a while, would you know anyone that sings? They don't really have to to be amazing, just ask them to listen as see what they say. If you could spring for lessons it would be better, but if you are reluctant to spend the money that would be one solution that I would suggest. Also, you could upload a recording so people here can suggest some things.
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Feb 8, 2012 16:42
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I AM JAMES FRANCO posted:Lot of people hate their voice when they first record their singing. Thats pretty normal. You might not sound as bad as you think. If you've been playing guitar for a while, would you know anyone that sings? They don't really have to to be amazing, just ask them to listen as see what they say. If you could spring for lessons it would be better, but if you are reluctant to spend the money that would be one solution that I would suggest. I actually just moved recently to a city where I know noone, so your first suggestion isn't going to happen for a bit. I will however record something and post it here so you kids can critique me. I'm not 100% opposed to paying for lessons, but I don't want to spend the money until I've made it as far as I can on my own. I'll record something tonight giving my best effort and let you guys make the decision for me  Thanks!Edit - It's not actually my voice that I hate. I rather enjoy the tone of my voice when it isn't hosed up....it's just usually hosed up. I'm totally aware from playing other instruments that you are your own worst critic and 90% of the "screwups" you hear yourself, nobody else does ever, but I poured effort into guitar to go from "I alone hear my mistakes" to "I love the way I sound" and would like to put the same work into singing with the same result MrTheDevious fucked around with this message at 22:35 on Feb 8, 2012 |
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Feb 8, 2012 22:33
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Where do I go for some decent voice instruction? I was thinking about emailing some local voice profs but I'm almost sure I'll get a "I only teach music majors unless you can pay one hundred fifty per lesson" response. I'm a grown rear end man and I've sang my entire life, but I've never had formal instruction and I've got a bunch of poo poo that I need ironing out.
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Feb 9, 2012 22:10
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Local music stores. I live in Arkansas and there's still 3-4 music stores within a 20 min drive with vocal coaches. Price seems ~100 a month rather than 150 per lesson (which is insane)
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Feb 9, 2012 22:35
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Can I just say, having a deep voice completely sucks. After months of ear training and private practice, I'm much better at those little things, like singing on pitch and staying on key. That's pretty cool. However, the highest note I can hit without my voice breaking is the Bb below middle C. Just a half-step up and it's like reliving puberty. It wouldn't be such a problem if my chorus didn't have crap bass arrangements where everything is in that upper octave, one piece basically just sits at that high D. I mean I imagine that's pretty common, but. Not even a chance. Of course, the last note we have an option of going two octaves down for a low D, which of course I'm the only one who can do it, no worries. UGH.
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Feb 10, 2012 00:17
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not being able to go above Bb is a serious flaw as a singer, no one's voice is so anatomically low that they can't go above middle c. if D is a low note for you (it's a low note for a lot of people, mind) then you've probably got a high G in you with training
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Feb 10, 2012 05:36
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D isn't a particularly low note for me, I've always been able to go down to that low B, even before I had any training. I'm a bit frustrated because a few months ago I know I had been able to hit a middle C, and in a few weeks of not practicing I feel like I lost at least four months of progress. The guy who stands next to me said to try to sing in my throat so much, but when I'm pushing so close to my falsetto, I physically feel like there's nothing else I can do. I know it sounds like crap, but between the G and B below middle C is the overlap between my head voice and my falsetto. I know the answer is practice and finding a real teacher, but I am frustrated. My ear has genuinely improved, but I'm hitting this wall every chorus practice that's really disheartening.
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Feb 10, 2012 05:55
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Manky posted:D isn't a particularly low note for me, I've always been able to go down to that low B, even before I had any training. I'm a bit frustrated because a few months ago I know I had been able to hit a middle C, and in a few weeks of not practicing I feel like I lost at least four months of progress. The guy who stands next to me said to try to sing in my throat so much, but when I'm pushing so close to my falsetto, I physically feel like there's nothing else I can do. I know it sounds like crap, but between the G and B below middle C is the overlap between my head voice and my falsetto. I know it must be frustrating for you to have difficulty singing your parts in your choir, but don't feel too bad. I agree with Not Paul Layton that it is very unlikely that you cannot sing beyond middle C in your modal voice, but it does sound like you're a legit bass, which is kind of lucky. Actual, real basses are something of a rare thing and are somewhat coveted in choirs which often have a lot of bass-baritones and baritones singing the bass line. I am, for example, something of a light baritone and really loose a lot of control when singing the lower parts of bass choral writing, and am pretty much frying at an E2, which made it frustrating when my part had me chanting on D2 and the pitch started to drift down as I pretty much just started mouthing along. Singing in the upper part of your voice requires practice and technique. The ideal solution really is to find a good teacher. Not only should this improve your voice in general, but as you have noticed being able to sing up to E4 is pretty much standard in the choral bass (and indeed solo bass) repretoire, with occasional F and F#s in some writing. The sound of a bass/bass section in this part of the voice is really powerful, and has a lot of musical impact. Edit: Alternately learn to sing even lower and join an Russian Orthodox choir because that poo poo sounds badass. Check out some of this music if you want to feel better about having a low voice. cpach fucked around with this message at 22:36 on Feb 10, 2012 |
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Feb 10, 2012 22:30
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Dolphin posted:Where do I go for some decent voice instruction? music stores for sure. bulletin boards at coffee shops and colleges. Craigslist. Even a college student with some training can probably help you with what you need. You probably already know how to sing, just need some focus on technique or a certain area. I usually charge 20 per half hour, and that' very moderate. Some of the younger peeps might do less. Don't pay 150 per lesson, although some people (rightfully so) charge that. Their just in a different league. If you were a pro singer with lots of gigs that paid your bills it'd be a worthwhile investment, like a new laptop or car. Anyway, for most people's purposes... too expensive. What needs ironed out btw?
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Feb 14, 2012 07:28
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Do be careful with vocal lessons, though, especially if you take them from a local place. There are a lot of "teachers" out there who can't teach worth a drat and don't really know what they're talking about but get by on the fact that they sound great. A great performer does not necessarily equal a great teacher. Just keep that in mind. This isn't to single out music stores. There are colleges where this is a problem.
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Feb 19, 2012 09:52
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Thanks for the advice and encouragement, guys. I'm sticking with it, and doing something that's really obvious and I should have started long before: run vocal scales and such while I'm warming up my guitar practice. Super easy to do, and I think I'm already feeling a difference with what I bring to chorus. With a bit of a stretch I can hit middle C already, I've got no breath support under it but hey, progress. Also checking out those Russian orthodox choirs really makes me want to practice opening up my low end more, but maybe I'll wait until I find some Russians to sing with...
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Feb 23, 2012 20:05
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  I've been singing for a while by myself, and recently I started singing with a band. I would love to improve. Do you guys have any suggestions what I should work on? I've never had vocal training, so I'm worried that I might be doing something wrong and potentially ruining my voice long-term. Or just not reaching my potential. When I started singing, I had this tiny, quiet, mousy and breathy little voice. But I just sang along boldly with stuff like Nightwish or Loreena McKennitt (it sounded terrible) and gradually it developed. Is it wrong to push yourself like that? Unfortunately, I can't afford lessons at the moment, but it is something I'm planning to do at some point. I also have no idea how to warm up my voice. Usually what I do is sing simple tunes, then gradually work into more difficult stuff, until I feel more comfortable. Is that basically it? Also, has anyone tried singing Teardrop? I've been working on that for years, literally, and it is so difficult to get right! We're going to cover it with the band, I'm so excited about it.
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Mar 18, 2012 05:02
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I really like your voice. Unless it hurts, you're probably not hurting yourself. The only things you could change, to my tastes, are improving your vowel clarity. It sounds like maybe you have an accent outside of singing, and this isn't a bad thing, but when you sing "dream a little dream of me" the i sound in little sounds like "ee" not "ih", and it's kind of weird. Generally, trying to sing the correct and clear vowel is good. Listening to the tail end of Port of Amsterdam, and I don't really have any complaints about this one. You have a great sound, really reminds me of cool older stuff (hunky dory era bowie). Good enunciation with a raw and unique sound that's well supported. Post more!
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Mar 18, 2012 07:09
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I'm back! For those who don't want to search for a comparison:  I barely practice, impressions guys? oh and I was drinking beer when I recorded this, guinness in case you were wanting inspiration
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Apr 25, 2012 02:21
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I was never really good at singing and I want to step it up this summer. I've played guitar on and off for about ten years now, and did get much better at singing in the meantime, but I still feel wholly sub-par. I don't have a very good ear, and never had formal singing lessons. My ex had them and told me I sing from the throat, and I should sing with my belly, which never really made much sense to me but I've been trying hard these days to use less my throat. I'm pretty confused as to how it works though, and I know that without proper technique you can't get very far. I do have convincing death metal growls and screams; these I have to push out with my belly so it makes sense here, but I can't see how you apply that to singing. Oddly, they work much better when I'm sitting down, although the fact that I only practice in my car may explain it. Lessons are too expensive for me, are there any web-based resources you guys would specifically recommend? Thanks! Colonel J fucked around with this message at 15:31 on Jun 1, 2012 |
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Jun 1, 2012 15:28
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I'm also interested in any web based lessons. There are language learning applications that analyze your pronunciation and all that, so shouldn't there be a singing one that analyzes your pitch and tone? I've always wanted to sing lead because my instrument playing skills are terrible. Its the one thing in the world I know that I want to do 100%. But its so hard and I'm so self conscious, I'm about to just budget out my alcohol and replace it with singing lessons. I'm getting older(27) and realizing one day I'm going to wake up and be 30 or 40 with some serious regrets. Colonel J, email me at zach.spradlin@g4direct.com, I'd PM but yours are off. Basically, from my minor understanding, we normally breathe in and fill our chest out, and when we exhale our stomachs kind of go outward. It needs to be the opposite, apparently. I'm still trying to practice this and its hard because right now its a conscious effort and not at all natural. RizieN fucked around with this message at 16:16 on Jun 1, 2012 |
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Jun 1, 2012 16:14
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Hey im wondering if some singer goons could speak to me about my singing.. I've been playing ukelele/singing for a wee while and I thought my voice was..acceptable. I really hate my singing voice but I thought it was passable for singing with. Anyways I went to an open mic to try out my skills and I got pretty anxious and didn't really do that well and It got me really second guessing myself and my voice. TLDR: I tried to sing and it was poo poo. Anyways I mashed together some bits of songs that I sing and was hoping I could get opinions/critiques on it. I also noticed the ukulele although tuned to itself is a bit off. Cheers! 
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Jun 12, 2012 20:29
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First of all I have to say that your timing is really terrible. I know it's harsh but it really is very bad. You should work on that first of all. Start by playing those songs to a metronome. Your voice is not bad at all but you sound really unsure of yourself; you're barely even singing. Compress your tummy and sing so's the neighbours can hear you.
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Jun 14, 2012 18:51
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cactuscarpet posted:First of all I have to say that your timing is really terrible. I know it's harsh but it really is very bad. You should work on that first of all. Start by playing those songs to a metronome. Thats cool, I don't care if it's harsh. I may sound like a dipshit now but yeah I've never played to a metronome so I'll get on it. and I spose self confidence in my singing is the next step really.
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Jun 14, 2012 22:07
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Hey guys, I'm a full-time bassist who, during the last couple of years, have been starting to sing backing vocals alot more than I used to. I've had vocal coaching during college, and I used to sing alot (I was the main singer in my class of the boys) but I sort of didn't have the confidence to continue because my technique was sort of bad, I was singing songs waaay out of my range (I'm a light baritone), and I'm still sort of doing that. I feel like I can easily hit them, but it's usually pitchy when it's live; ie. I sort of miss/go beneath the pitch. Are there any excercises I can do to really nail pitch? I guess it's a muscle memory thing, aswell - I don't really practice singing other than rehersals/gigs, so it obviously won't be any better. What can I do to improve in my situation? I'm not terrible, but I don't sound great either.
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Jun 23, 2012 21:43
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I'm playing a solo thing in a couple of days, but last week I had a horrible flu and now my voice is all messed up. Around D2-E4 is fine, then up to about A4 is shaky (as in I can hit the notes but then my throat gets weak and they wobble around everywhere and it sounds like poo poo) in normal voice, plus my vibrato is almost unusable. Falsetto is fine up to at least E5 but still not as great as usual. Unfortunately this isn't a Tiny Tim tribute show so I'm sweating a bit. I think there's still some crud in my throat that is messing me up, so does anyone have any tips on how to get my voice as good as possible within the next 48 hours? I'm starting to dread the whole thing as I've got to play for about two hours in total and it's looking like it'll be an incredibly long two hours for everyone.
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Jun 25, 2012 09:05
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I've never used it for this purpose, but you could try some Throat Coat stuff that you get at the pharmacy and make a very nasty medicine tea that helps your throat out with bad coughs and poo poo, hell I think TheraFlu might do the same thing and help with the flu.
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Jun 27, 2012 20:40
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Baibai Kuaikuai posted:
Practice, practice, practice your material! The best thing is to build up confidence so you don't waver or slide around, not only just with yourself practicing but also hearing your voice in the context of your band. If you have sheet music, it can help to associate the visual jumps of the intervals and can allow you to find your pitch based on previous or surrounding notes you know you can nail being used as points of reference. If you don't have sheet music, transcribing it will get you intimately familiar with your arrangements and relative pitches! You can also do things like ear interval training but I'm not sure how much that applies to your situation. What I mean is learning to recognize the "feel" and sound of particular note jumps so your brain can associate them with the correct pitch you're moving toward - a perfect fifth is like the first two notes of "Also Sprach Zarathustra", perfect fourths sound like the notes of the Happy Birthday song, minor thirds are the opening notes of "O Canada", etc. strangemusic fucked around with this message at 05:27 on Jun 28, 2012 |
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Jun 28, 2012 05:24
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Excavation posted:I'm playing a solo thing in a couple of days, but last week I had a horrible flu and now my voice is all messed up. Around D2-E4 is fine, then up to about A4 is shaky (as in I can hit the notes but then my throat gets weak and they wobble around everywhere and it sounds like poo poo) in normal voice, plus my vibrato is almost unusable. Falsetto is fine up to at least E5 but still not as great as usual. Unfortunately this isn't a Tiny Tim tribute show so I'm sweating a bit. I think there's still some crud in my throat that is messing me up, so does anyone have any tips on how to get my voice as good as possible within the next 48 hours? I'm starting to dread the whole thing as I've got to play for about two hours in total and it's looking like it'll be an incredibly long two hours for everyone. You sound like you do the same thing I do, which is incessantly and anxiously check your voice every few hours or so. Stop it, right now, do not so much as say hello to anyone until about two hours before your show. In the meantime, drink room temperature water, eat healthy foods, and rest up. Two hours before the show (ish, earlier in the day is fine I think), do some simple warm-up exercises starting in a place in your voice that is most comfortable (probably somewhere in D2-E4 since that's the most recovered part at the moment). You'll have a good idea of how your voice is doing from that. If it's still weak, try to figure out some alternate melodic paths to take in songs that use your weak ranges. If it's better, DON'T take that as an invitation to celebrate your newfound voice and do a bunch of frenzied practicing, because it will crap out right in the middle of the show. I don't know what kind of music you play/crowd stuff you normally do, but if there's someone else to take over any talking and/or yelling you usually do then have them do it. Bring some water onstage to drink between songs. This might be a good time to prepare some instrumental songs just in case you need an extended rest. Seriously though, there is a reason opera singers diva out and refuse to make a peep when they're sick. Your voice needs rest time and every time you use it you are increasing the amount of time it needs. Also, when you are done with your show, you should go right back on vocal rest, but you don't have to be quite as extreme about it. Just don't go screaming or having long phone conversations and so on. Good luck, I hope it's all better for the show 
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Jun 28, 2012 05:40
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It went alright, in fact it was probably the best gig I've ever done, weirdly enough. There were a couple of songs I had to cut out (I had to replace about 10) but I stuck with songs that avoided that shaky area (there were a couple of covers thrown in like this and this that worked well). I think out of the 20 or 25 songs I did, there was only one that I aborted but that's only because I was getting cocky. Water was in constant supply and I'm pretty sure that's what saved me overall. And unfortunately as I almost always play solo there were few opportunities for instrumental bits or having someone else take over. I've got two more gigs in the next 10 days, so while my voice is much better than it was a few days ago I've got some tricks up my sleeve now if it's still crappy in a week or so, so thanks for your input! I'll take it easy in the meantime.
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Jun 30, 2012 16:00
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