Africa piano/vocal cover

Michael4000

Hi All! Hope everyone is staying safe. We are in almost total lockdown here in New York. Very sad situation, but a great opportunity to work on music...it is such a gift. Can I please get some feedback and critique on this recording? Thanks.

Michael

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AvqpmhkVjP-Mil-kQvmKEMh0sbco



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Klaus_T

hi Michael, same here in Berlin, more or less on complete lockdown. hope you and your family stay safe!

I am gonna be honest, this one does not work quite as well (yet) as your other recent covers. I guess it is a hard song.

In the verses, it seems like the song is too low in key for you (it sounds like you struggle to support the low notes, and also the consonants seem to get in your way). then, in the chorus, it sounds quite strained, maybe it could be fixed with adjusting the vowel mods but I am not good enough to tell you what to change there. hopefully some of the more advanced students will help you with it.

I am sure you are gonna make this work just as well as the other covers. did you actually play and sing this at the same time? if so, I think you are improving with coordinating the two.

Michael4000

@Klaus_T thanks for your feedback. I did play and sing at the same time, but then i deleted the vocal track to try to improve it. So in this particular recording it's separate.

Vocality

@Michael4000

Had a listen to your song I did like it, kinda agree with @Klaus_T on the lower notes and it would be interesting if did it in a higher key just to hear if that makes a difference. Still a good effort Michael.

Vocality

Klaus_T

@Vocality i guess a higher pitch would make the choruses even harder.

Michael4000

@Klaus_T @Vocality yes, that's pretty much the highest i could do at this time on those high notes. What specifically sounds bad about the low notes, maybe i could work on that?

Klaus_T

i think your voice sounds a bit "wobbly"/not so well supported in places ("stars that guide me to salvation" and "solitary company" probably pop out the most). I listened again and can't really explain it much better. if this is of any help, your demos of american girl and only the good die young had this really professional tone, which now somehow is not there. maybe had i not heard the other songs i wouldn't have missed that "something". but maybe actually change the key of the verse to a whole step higher (or so) and check if that is better (you can post it for us here). maybe that way we can figure it out. having said that, the other option is probably to just keep doing it in the recent key, and try to support a bit more, maybe that is really all it takes.

Klaus_T

and again, it might be the consonants as well

Michael4000

@Klaus_T thanks. I was thinking that maybe i could even sing those low notes with a softer, lighter, even breather tone, so it doesn't sound like such a deep Elvis-type voice, and the low notes won't appear to sound so low. I'll give it a try.

Michael4000

@Klaus_T @Vocality OR anyone else...I made some adjustments to Africa, Can you please give it a listen and tell me if it's a bit improved? It's not the whole song, just the first 2 minutes

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AvqpmhkVjP-MimMpSAuP7sc_qy_d

Vocality

@Michael4000 Yes the tone is much better on the lower notes improvements there I can hear and suits the song better.

Michael4000

@Vocality thanks

Michael4000

@Vocality do you think the high notes still sound strained and needs some work?

Klaus_T

hey Michael, great improvement, well done. it still sounds a little bit strained in the chorus, but this probably comes with time. maybe dial back the volume for the really high lines?! anyway great job, no idea what you did but it worked