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First song demo. I am worried about feedback :)

Claude77Claude77 Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 213
Hi guys,
that's my first post of my actually singing.
I force myself to do it because I think it has to be done.
My gear fo recording is very basic so the final result might sound really not professional but I think it is enough for an opinion.

I don't really like recording myself because when I hear back the recording I got a really frustrating feeling.
After all the work I put on the singing what I poor results I am getting.
The song I am uploading is a song I really studied a lot.
I don't like my timber, I don't like my voice, should I give up?
Please if you are going to listen and comment be honest.
C.

Comments

  • highmtnhighmtn Administrator, Moderator, Enrolled, Pro, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 15,354
    This is a very hard song to sing. You should start with songs that are easier for you to sing. It's easy to get discouraged when you hear things that aren't the way you want them to sound.

    This song starts out on a G#4 and has an A4 in it, too. Those aren't beginner notes.

    Keep this recording. After a few months, record the same song, and compare it. Before and After. Better yet, after a year. That's more reasonable to expect big changes.

    Do keep recording yourself and listening. But don't beat yourself up. Listen to the details, and determine what you would like to make better. It's really hard to listen to yourself when you hear a lot of flaws in it. But those flaws are the key to what will make you a better singer when you use that information to turn your weaknesses into your strengths.

    The first "Don't Let Me Down" is kind of pitchy. The second time that comes around, after the first verse, it's 100% better. Listen to the second chorus and figure out what you did that made your pitch so much better the second time. Replicate that. Listen for what you are doing right and do more of it. Listen for what you don't like about your singing and do less of that.

    You can help your voice by increasing support and pushing down on your diaphragm, especially on these high notes. Brightening the tone will help with pitch discernment.

    Your recording setup is fine. This is a perfect recording. Just spend a lot of time working with your voice. Record your exercises and evaluate yourself frequently. How is your pitch? Is it bright enough? Is your support sufficient? Am I working on those things I heard in the last recording that I wanted to improve?

    Post a Lah Scale. That's something that will reveal a lot about what you are doing with your voice. Songs have a lot of moving targets. Get the basics of your technique on a firm foundation FIRST, and then start trying to shoot down more moving targets.

    Don't be too hard on yourself. You have the makings of a really good voice. It needs some work on the foundation.

    All the Best!


    Bob
  • Claude77Claude77 Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 213
    edited May 2017
    Thanks Bob,

    I appreciate it. It's not easy not to be discouraged when you put a lot of effort and got barley zero results.
    I started being serious about singing last October with a teacher, than I joined KTVA last march and I have been working like mad everyday since October.
    The song I choose is not an easy one, I know for sure, but I worked on that song so much that I was aspecting a better result.
    I know that Rome wasn't built in one day but I am really working hard on my voice and on the recording there was nothing I liked. My tone, my timber everything looked very poor.
    Anyway thanks again for spending some time on listening and commenting.

    I will try to get back to work and not give up.
    C.

    P.S.
    I have already posted a LA scale and you commented I did a good job and I thought I did, but recording a song really discouraged me. I am going to post the LA scale again here if you feel like evaluating.



  • highmtnhighmtn Administrator, Moderator, Enrolled, Pro, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 15,354
    The lowest notes are probably too low for you. Until 0:21 you are off-pitch on the low notes. From about 0:21 on, you are OK. You could support more and also brighten the tone. When you get back down to the lowest notes on the way back down at the end, you're unable to sing those low notes.

    That's ok, if you want to do higher singing. If you want to get those low notes right, you'll have to listen more carefully, and work on your breath management for low notes. Low notes take a certain amount of air at a very steady rate, or they'll go sharp or flat very easily. So stability in the air flow is really important down low.
  • KaiEllisKaiEllis Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 215
    Man there are plenty of moments here where you can tell that you'll develop into an amazing singer. There's some good tone here. Just gotta get solid on the fundamentals - pitch, support, all that. Please keep going, and please keep posting examples of your progress.
  • Claude77Claude77 Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 213
    edited May 2017
    Thanks KaiEllis I appreciate it. I love so much singing that I really want to learn it properly . I am putting so much effort and practicing like crazy that I would like to see great results.
    I will keep working!
    Thanks for spending your time in listening and commenting.
    C.
  • KaiEllisKaiEllis Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 215
    edited May 2017
    @Claude77 Man the opportunity to come on this forum and talk shop worth other singers has been with the purchase price of KTVA alone for me. Thank you for posting your demos and for contributing to the forum. This is such a great community to be a part of.
  • Claude77Claude77 Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 213
    @highmtn

    Bob, I followed your advices on this song.
    I still remember 6 months ago how bad I felt about listening back to this recording.
    I worked so hard almost everyday and finally I recorded again the song and I think I made a good change on it.
    Please when you have time have a listening on this comparison and let me know your thoughts.
    C.

    P.S.
    Thanks again for all the time that you dedicate to us.
    I really appreciate it.




  • highmtnhighmtn Administrator, Moderator, Enrolled, Pro, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 15,354
    @Claude77,

    You have improved a LOT since 6 months ago. A LOT!

    There are still some things I would like for you to improve, despite the progress you have made.

    Overall, it could be brighter. You could use a little more cord closure.
    The biggest thing to help you, overall, would be to rely more on pushing down on your diaphragm to increase your support.

    Your "Don't let me down"s sound SO much better now. If you can learn to compress your air a little bit, you will find that these lines will be even stronger than you have managed to get them now, and by pushing down on the diaphragm there should be an increase in tone, a decrease in the amount of air, with a slight increase in air pressure. It should also take some of the stress off of your cords, by transferring the work to your gut.

    Also, I would like for you to check one note in particular. "does" at 0:39, and then again the same note at 0:53. The same thing applies later in the song at the same two places. The note you sing is sharp. I don't have the song cued up to tell you what it is on the record, but I think it's supposed to be an E4. You seem to be a little between F4 and F#4. That's a big note that happens 4 times in the song, and you need to listen to the record, check the right note, and then practice getting that note correct when it comes up in the song. Getting that right will substantially help. There are a few more minor owies here and there, but fixing the things I mention here will go a long ways toward upgrading where you are now.

    Again, I repeat, you have vastly improved over the older version. Good work. As I said before, you picked a very hard song. We recommend that students pick a song that is well-within your capabilities when starting out, to avoid discouragement. Then gradually pick harder songs as you move along. You started out with a song that is just plain hard for most people to sing, even experienced singers.

    All the best, and congratulations on the progress you are making!

    Bob
  • Claude77Claude77 Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 213
    Thanks Bob,

    I realized I did a good job but I wanted someone more expert to confirm and give me a lot of things to work on I did not realize.
    This is a big encouragement for me and makes me work even harder.
    Thanks a lot again for being always so patient and available for all of us.
    C.
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