Thanks for checking in -- I'm happy to share, for sure, but also looking at a few things.
I still feel like it just kind of sounds like decent karaoke singing, so I am (big picture) trying to figure out what's missing. So I'm interested in even just vague notions of where to look.
Am I pulling chest here and in "Burden" when I go above F or so?
My speaking voice got slight cracks/hoarseness in it after singing the last few days. Again, this is slight and not always noticeable, but I do feel it, and I did wake up with it (so it's not only right after practicing). I don't know if I'm just hitting it hard in a healthy way or if I'm starting a vicious cycle, so I'm taking a day off. I'm generating a lot of volume, and if I back off, it just sounds wimpy to me. I can't really get any breathy air around the Jellyfish one, and if I try, I can't compress or reserve my breath and I find myself actually running out of breath. I at least know where to look for that one, but I don't know how to resolve that to get a more intimate but focused and controlled tone in that range (think Bruno Mars' "Billionaire" or something).
I saw the other thread where Matt (MattP75?) was doing STP, so I took a shot at it, but I wasn't able to get a thick tone like he gets without feeling like I was swallowing/covering the vocal. I think my larynx might be riding too high here. It's possible that I'm doing the Squeeze "Tempted" high larynx thing in the Jellyfish one, but I'm not really sure if I'm at speech level and just having to raise naturally to grab the high A. I don't feel like I get caught up (stuck) going up there, for what that's worth. I'm working "Lah-Ah's" trying to do bright tone, lowered larynx, and open throat, but you know, I wanted to test-drive some songs, so I'm trying to approach it in a musical way.
In the STP one, the half verse after the bridge (1:53) actually felt different when I sang it -- it felt looser (relaxed) and more resonant. So I'm working on a blueprint for some kind of feeling to go after, but I'm still trying to drill down to isolate the different variables.
I think your singing sounds pretty great in all three videos. I can understand your frustrations though of feeling like you're singing good but still have something feel like it's "missing" or not quite right.
I think your missing link has to do with support and this is a tricky and time consuming thing to figure out and use properly even with the course. Your notes are clean, you can hold them well, but the it sounds like its all coming from the throat, that's why it doesn't sound so nice and full like you want. Yes you vocalise through your throat, but when you drive the sound from deeper in your gut is when you can get more resonance and projection so you dont have to sing so loud.
If I practice hard ill some times wake up with a slightly husky voice, but no hoarseness, and I get get my scales done no worries and by the time im done, my voice is crystal again. I found the main difference between a good work out and a bad one is how I wake up, if im completely hoarse then ive thrown my technique out the window and used way too much air, hoarseness is a warning sign of that.
To work on reducing air and engaging support, that is best done with scales, Ken has a few on his channel that you can setup your own starter workout. Doing these helps you concentrate better on what needs to be fixed. I reckon you'll be blown away once you get a proper grasp on this and your singing will go to another level.
Thanks for checking in. I figured the support was at least progressing well, since I am getting better at holding notes steady. That E at 1:40 in the "Vasoline" one, I'm just seeing if I can grab it and hold it in tune. I wasn't able to do that 3 months ago, certainly not like that.
I'm really looking for things to resonate. Every now and then, it clicks and feels effortless for a moment, or I get some volume effortlessly. The moment I try to add any air or breath around the vocal, I definitely can't get that.
If you see me looking down and to the left, this is what I am seeing. This is me with the iPhone playing with it -- you can see where it is close and then locks in at the end, a couple of seconds in.
The tuner is nice for instant feedback. It's different hearing tuning in your own head vs. working with an instrument or another singer, especially since I have a goal of being studio-accurate with backgrounds and lead, both.
Ken talking about how a "covered" sound blurs the tuning really got me thinking. I'd always wondered why I couldn't get a guitar tuner to show "in tune" or (sometimes) even kind of steady and close -- the needle/reading would always just fly around. Once I did the "LAH-AH's," it seemed like I was getting a reading that matched more of what I was feeling -- often a bit off, but the tuner would show that I was a little under the Bb or whatever. So now, I'm able to work on grabbing those notes and building the muscle memory.
The next level would be to work in a natural vibrato, which I'm not so much able to do yet. I am working to get that "relaxation response" happening. I know there are plenty of challenges here, but it's nice to hear that you're seeing some good things happening too.
Comments
I still feel like it just kind of sounds like decent karaoke singing, so I am (big picture) trying to figure out what's missing. So I'm interested in even just vague notions of where to look.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/427127378
Here's another one.
Am I pulling chest here and in "Burden" when I go above F or so?
My speaking voice got slight cracks/hoarseness in it after singing the last few days. Again, this is slight and not always noticeable, but I do feel it, and I did wake up with it (so it's not only right after practicing). I don't know if I'm just hitting it hard in a healthy way or if I'm starting a vicious cycle, so I'm taking a day off. I'm generating a lot of volume, and if I back off, it just sounds wimpy to me. I can't really get any breathy air around the Jellyfish one, and if I try, I can't compress or reserve my breath and I find myself actually running out of breath. I at least know where to look for that one, but I don't know how to resolve that to get a more intimate but focused and controlled tone in that range (think Bruno Mars' "Billionaire" or something).
I saw the other thread where Matt (MattP75?) was doing STP, so I took a shot at it, but I wasn't able to get a thick tone like he gets without feeling like I was swallowing/covering the vocal. I think my larynx might be riding too high here. It's possible that I'm doing the Squeeze "Tempted" high larynx thing in the Jellyfish one, but I'm not really sure if I'm at speech level and just having to raise naturally to grab the high A. I don't feel like I get caught up (stuck) going up there, for what that's worth. I'm working "Lah-Ah's" trying to do bright tone, lowered larynx, and open throat, but you know, I wanted to test-drive some songs, so I'm trying to approach it in a musical way.
In the STP one, the half verse after the bridge (1:53) actually felt different when I sang it -- it felt looser (relaxed) and more resonant. So I'm working on a blueprint for some kind of feeling to go after, but I'm still trying to drill down to isolate the different variables.
If I practice hard ill some times wake up with a slightly husky voice, but no hoarseness, and I get get my scales done no worries and by the time im done, my voice is crystal again. I found the main difference between a good work out and a bad one is how I wake up, if im completely hoarse then ive thrown my technique out the window and used way too much air, hoarseness is a warning sign of that.
To work on reducing air and engaging support, that is best done with scales, Ken has a few on his channel that you can setup your own starter workout. Doing these helps you concentrate better on what needs to be fixed. I reckon you'll be blown away once you get a proper grasp on this and your singing will go to another level.
Theres plenty of good things going on here
I'm really looking for things to resonate. Every now and then, it clicks and feels effortless for a moment, or I get some volume effortlessly. The moment I try to add any air or breath around the vocal, I definitely can't get that.
If you see me looking down and to the left, this is what I am seeing. This is me with the iPhone playing with it -- you can see where it is close and then locks in at the end, a couple of seconds in.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/428154252
The tuner is nice for instant feedback. It's different hearing tuning in your own head vs. working with an instrument or another singer, especially since I have a goal of being studio-accurate with backgrounds and lead, both.
Ken talking about how a "covered" sound blurs the tuning really got me thinking. I'd always wondered why I couldn't get a guitar tuner to show "in tune" or (sometimes) even kind of steady and close -- the needle/reading would always just fly around. Once I did the "LAH-AH's," it seemed like I was getting a reading that matched more of what I was feeling -- often a bit off, but the tuner would show that I was a little under the Bb or whatever. So now, I'm able to work on grabbing those notes and building the muscle memory.
The next level would be to work in a natural vibrato, which I'm not so much able to do yet. I am working to get that "relaxation response" happening. I know there are plenty of challenges here, but it's nice to hear that you're seeing some good things happening too.