Bon Jovi- Livin on a Prayer

Michael4000

Hi all and happy mothers day to all the mothers! Can you please give me some feedback on this recording?

Thanks, Michael

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AvqpmhkVjP-Mix_dd8_zhIn5sGE7


@HuduVudu @doc_ramadani @Vocality @bentk @iking @Diego @highmtn @Gaston_Jauregui @Sophia @victortang @Klaus_T @Furious_Phil @Ken Tamplin @Wigs @Maximus3000 @Jáchym @cwcw @reallydanny @SlaySomething @Rick_amateur @samw2019 @blondiewales @maximgottmer @KenfromCZ @bonvie56 @sjonrokz4u @Chris82 @coffeecrank @JackLeininger @Perriard @shining @d1g2w3

d1g2w3

Hey @Michael4000, I had listen.

Can I ask what volume you are on? I hear really good distortion which I assume you've learned.

Pitch was good all round too.

The reason I ask about which volume you are on is because I was wondering if mixed voice is on the horizon.

One thing I noticed, in the last three "livin on a prayer" after the key change, the livin part was reaching a bit. My suggestion is you picture the livin word as the EE vowel. I think the placement will be easier and you should get better chord closure.

Great job though, really enjoyed listening to that!

Danny

Michael4000

@d1g2w3 Thanks for the feedback. hard to say what volume I'm on, because I have so many different volume knobs on the software, input gain, mic channel, etc. Good suggestion on the vowel mod...yeah that's a high note for full chest, maybe I should try to use mixed voice.

Chris82

@Michael4000 Wow good job brother! Your tempo and pitch were pretty much spot on the entire song.

Michael4000

@Chris82 thanks. How do you think this song comes off as just a piano/vocal?

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Michael4000

@coffeecrank thanks!

d1g2w3

You're on piano there @Michael4000? I just assumed it was a standard piano backing track. It sounds really great!
When I said which volume I meant in Kens teaching but I guess you haven't got it.

Michael4000

@d1g2w3 Ahhh yes that volume. I'm through all the volumes, but I'm always going back and practicing the exercises daily. I've been doing the course almost 2 years.

d1g2w3

Makes sense why that distortion is really good and controlled...jealous!

Michael4000

@d1g2w3 just keep at it. Do the exercises almost daily but you also HAVE to learn to sing actual songs. I learn SO much with each song I do.

Chris82

@Michael4000 I have to agree with @coffeecrank , I adore acoustic type music where its either just a guitar + singer or piano + singer. I listen to a lot of music like this so I'm probably biased but I prefer acoustic covers to originals in most cases.

One of my favorite playlists
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/69JV8BH0TUxg9KHjuJqHJK?si=YG5J3g5fQq2ZhMtdINMCsA

Michael4000

@Chris82 yes i like the coffee shop acoustic style stuff too. What did you think of my particular cover here?

Wigs

I have to respectfully disagree with the others. There were quite a few JUST out of pitch notes through out which added up and distracted me. I didn't hear the same level of polish as your last track, it's almost like this was a test run while you are learning the song and experimenting with how you want to present it, not actually close to the final product. I'm not an instrumentalist but I think trying to stay true to the original with the piano wasn't so well suited. Maybe try a softer or more intimate approach with it?

Michael4000

@Wigs thanks for your feedback! I've heard other non-ktva people say the same actually. I can try to rearrange the piano, but I don't want to take down the energy level of this song because it is such an exciting song that people love to sing along to. I will have to give it a lot of thought.

maximgottmer

godd job, nice distortion, steady sound. Keep going.

sjonrokz4u

I have to agree with @wigs. I’m not sure if it’s just not a good song for you or what. All of your other stuff is at a much different level but keep plugging away and you’ll come up with a good presentation. How do you feel about how it sounds? I’m not trying to be negative. But I think if you retool what your doing you’ll come up with a much better presentation based on what I’ve heard you do in the past

Michael4000

@sjonrokz4u I think there are a lot of factors involved here that make this particularly difficult. One of the main ones is the key change, and it is a giant key change. Most key changes are +1 or +2, this one is actually +3. Which forces me to lower the key in the beginning to be able to reach the high notes after the key change. FYI Bon Jovi doesn't even sing the high notes in this song when he is performing, even before the key change, and even in his prime in the 80s. He always points his mic to the crowd and has them sing the high notes (Ken actually called him out on that in his analysis haha). Also this is just a giant arena anthem kind of a song, so it's hard to present with just piano and vocals. Maybe I need to slow it down and change the arrangement instead of trying to make it sound like the original Rock Anthem that it is.

sjonrokz4u

Yeah I wasn’t trying to be negative or mean. I guess what I was trying to say is I’ve heard a lot of your stuff and I know you can do better with it Maybe that key change is what’s working against it. I don’t doubt you put more work in to it you’ll come up with something good. I just think it needs more of your time but hell I’m only on vol 1 and can’t get clearance to get off of it lol

Michael4000

@sjonrokz4u I do not ever take criticisms as negative or mean...I always appreciate honest feedback to help me improve, so thank you.

highmtn

@Michael4000

I would encourage you to try to up the key a bit.

A Minor is a bit at the lower edge of your voice. E Minor (the original Bon Jovi Key) is tough, especially when it modulates to the B flat Minor at the end chorus, but if you were to maybe take the song to C minor, and train for a while to get the modulated end key, it would be more exciting.

And yes, the B-flat minor is too high for even Jon Bon Jovi anymore, but A Minor is a bit on the low side.

And as a sing-along, it kind of leaves everyone out at the end... But they will be fine if you can lead the way.

I know it's a stretch, but a good goal.

Bob

Michael4000

@highmtn thanks for your feedback. I'm going to try to rework the entire arrangement of this song, and probably leave out the key change at the end. Bon Jovi himself never even sings the high notes live in concert, even before the key change, and even back in the 80s when he was in his prime (he points the mic to the crowd to help him out, as Ken pointed out in his analysis video of this song). Pretty much all the acoustic covers I've seen on YouTube leave out the key change, even from famous artists like David Cooke, Ed Sheeran, and even Bon Jovi himself in his acoustic version. BTW this is a very extreme key change...+3 half steps. Most key changes are +1 or +2.