Home VOCAL DEMONSTRATIONS for the Bold!

Journey, "Faithfully"

Just the first verse and chorus so far because MAN does this song get exponentially harder as it goes! Using this song to practice proper support and getting the inhale exhale before and after every phrase. My girlfriend's consistent comment is that "you still sound a little drunk" haha meaning I'm still backed a little far off the consonants and slurring a little. It's tough to get the balance right!

Anyway, love ya'll, thanks for the listen :smile:

Comments

  • highmtnhighmtn Administrator, Moderator, Enrolled, Pro, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 15,354
    You're on the right track, as far as going for the vowels and not the consonants. You will need to put just a touch of an "h", a very small "h" at the front of "highway" because you can't camoflage that missing "h" there. But you can and should certainly minimize it, or it will be a stumbling block.

    You are tending flat on several notes. Think about what Ken has said about placing the notes by coming in "from behind and dropping down onto" a note instead of having to "reach up to" it. So that means you have to kind of mentally prepare the notes from up high, so that you CAN come down to it. Aim a little higher might be another way of saying that, so that you will hit the target more dead center, like you would have to do with an arrow from afar, to compensate for the pull of gravity on the way to the target's bulls'eye.

    The second time through the verse was better than the first, pitch-wise. At 0:49 you're still a little flat on the G#4's, but for the most part, you're a lot more accurate in this section.

    Even though you're being accused of sounding a little "drunk", that's the most pro-sounding part of this demo, when you are sustaining pure vowels, and when they are dead-center on-pitch. That's half the battle.

    Stay on this train of thought. Work on your pitch. That's where just doing the song on AH only is good. You don't have to worry about changing vowels/words, any of that. You can just work on keeping the throat open and getting the pitch right on every note. Then, when you've proven that you can hit all of those target notes, dead-center, you are more ready to worry about machine-gun fast changing vowels and consonants.

    Simplyfy by breaking down to the easiest combinations and work out getting the pitches right. That's really important and deserves your full attention. Then, when you've tackled that, go back and add the complications of the consonants and changing vowels.
  • KaiEllisKaiEllis Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 215
    Thank you @highmtn

    It's so helpful to be able to get your precise, insightful feedback.

    Used both of your suggestions today during practice time - coming in from on top of the note and going through the notes just on the Ahhh. Both helped TREMENDOUSLY.

    In particular, coming in from on top of the note has alleviated a number of issues. Throat is more open, soft palate is raised, pitch is more precise, tension is released, just on and on. It even got me up to a sustained B4 in the second verse!

    Is there a specific video where Ken talks more about this specific subject of coming in from on top of the note? I've heard him say it many times, but I mean a session that's just devoted to this, because it's soooooo revolutionary for me!

    Thank you again! Will keep working and posting progress
  • highmtnhighmtn Administrator, Moderator, Enrolled, Pro, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 15,354
  • KaiEllisKaiEllis Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 215
    @highmtn ah excellent thank you!
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